Masaki and Momoe Kunimoto Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Vocational Education
Kunimoto Award Winner
Thomas Hussey
2006
Thomas Hussey is an associate professor of automotive technology at Maui Community College. He is honored for building a successful program by creating community support.
As the program coordinator, Hussey initiated outreach efforts to both private and public schools in Maui County to give students interested in the automotive field access to his program. He also created effective relationships with community auto dealerships, businesses and other automotive-related companies to establish a network of support for the program.
To better prepare his students in their chosen field, Hussey reworked his curriculum to meet the requirements for certification from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.
He also serves on the advisory committee for Maui’s Cooperative Education Program and for the Consumer Affairs of Automotive Complaints where he gives advice on automotive procedures for repairs and costs of repairs.
The Masaki and Momoe Kunimoto Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Vocational Education rewards outstanding achievement and significant contribution to vocational and technical education by a community college faculty member or student.
The award was established by family members to honor the namesakes’ role in development of the food industry in Hawai‘i.
Current Winners
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2002–2015 Honorees
