Former New York University (NYU) Executive Vice President of Operations Alison Leary has returned to Hawaiʻi to serve as director of operations at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama.

Leary comes with a wealth of operations experience. At NYU, she was credited with improving environmental stewardship and sustainability, enhancing service quality, transforming service processes, and decreasing costs.

“Since the time I first visited Hawai‘i at the age of 10, Hawai‘i is where I felt most at home,” said Leary. “It was that feeling that called me here to attend the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and that kept me here for another 17 years until my career took me to the mainland.

“With both of my children returning to the islands where they were born, that call home grew louder and louder. It is a dream come true to be back with my family and to have the opportunity to join Nā Kula o Kamehameha to give back to this special place by serving its mission and helping to fulfill the vision of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi.”

In her new role, Leary will oversee the dining services, physical plant, recreational facilities, security and transportation departments. She’ll also oversee the division’s safety and compliance, operations analysis and administrative support functions while monitoring all construction projects on campus.

Her kuleana will also include fielding requests for all division services, and coordinating the development of the consolidated major repair and capital improvement projects budget and the facilities master plan.

“We were fortunate to find someone with Alison’s exceptional experience and education,” said KS Kapālama Po‘o Kula (Head of School) Earl Kim. “Complementing her technical and managerial competencies is her earnest desire to gain deeper insight into the lives of the students we serve and the rich culture and history of our kula Hawai‘i. Operations support will only be enhanced by her expertise, growth mindset and commitment to our mission.”

Prior to her time at NYU, Leary was also a vice president at New York-based JP Morgan Chase where in 2001 she survived the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Her experience also includes over 12 years with GTE Telcom – including almost 10 years back in Hawaiʻi.

Leary earned numerous awards during her career, including winning the Hawaiʻi Governor’s Energy Award twice, the GTE Hawaiian Tel President’s Leadership Silver and Gold awards, and was named the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Woman of the Year. Most recently, she earned helped New York University earn a STARS Gold Rating and Power Plant of the Year.

An avid runner and outdoor enthusiast, Leary  has completed three marathons, finishing the 2000 New York City Marathon and the Honolulu Marathon in 1987 and most recently in 2015 . Leary also sailed the South Pacific for 7,500 miles on a personal yacht from 1985-86.

Leary holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and is currently a master’s degree candidate in human resources management at NYU.

We were fortunate to find someone with Alison’s exceptional experience and education. Complementing her technical and managerial competencies is her earnest desire to gain deeper insight into the lives of the students we serve and the rich culture and history of our kula Hawai‘i. Operations support will only be enhanced by her expertise, growth mindset and commitment to our mission.
KS Kapālama Head of School Earl Kim

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