HONOLULU, HAWAII (KITV4) Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii is celebrating 60 years of service in Hawaii and to mark the occasion Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s national CEO, Artis Stevens is in Hawaii. Stevens plus, Dennis Brown, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii talked about the impact the organization has on keiki in The Islands.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai‘i supports Keiki from 6 yrs old and up through its one-to-one mentoring relationships which support their social and emotional development.
The youth-centered programs help keiki create and achieve goals through the connection and support of their mentors. Each child, mentor, and family unit is guided through the process of enrollment, volunteerism, and support by all the Big Brothers Big Sisters staff.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii’s (BBBSH) President and CEO Dennis Brown will retire on Dec. 31, 2023, after 25 years of service to the organization. Current COO Tyler Kurashige has been selected by the BBBSH Board of Directors to succeed Brown and lead the state’s most recognized nonprofit providing 1-to-1 mentoring to Hawaii’s youth into a new era.
Brown is the longest-serving CEO in the agency’s 60-year history and was also BBBSH’s first youth served. During his tenure, Brown grew the organization’s staff from 11 to its current 22; the annual operating budget increased from $600,000 to its current $2.3 million; and service levels grew from 250 children per year to more than 800 prior to the COVID pandemic.
In addition, BBBSH is expanding the breadth of its services by adding teen mentoring programs aimed to help students graduate high school and plan for their future.
“When Dennis became CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu was a small organization that served only Oahu,” said Steve Corbisier, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii’s chairman of the board. “In 2007, he successfully expanded services to Kaua‘i. Five years later, he led negotiations with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui to merge and create a statewide entity to -more- serve all four counties providing tremendous growth and stability.
Source : KITV
