With support from King’s Hawaiian and foundations in Hawai‘i, the UH Foundation has raised $1.1 million this fiscal year to support the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head. 

A significant gift from King’s Hawaiian will provide funding for an executive director to lead the Culinary Institute of the Pacific’s programs in advanced culinary arts education. Recruitment for this position is anticipated to begin later this year.

“The generous gift from King’s Hawaiian will help us recruit and equip a stellar leader to propel the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head’s dynamic programming, enabling us to compete as a world-class culinary educational institute,” said Erika Lacro, University of Hawaiʻi vice president for community colleges. “We look forward to welcoming a culinary leader who thrives on innovation and collaboration, and is committed to sustainability and leading with aloha.”

CIP is an advanced, one-of-a-kind culinary campus with global reach, emphasizing the cultural diversity of the islands. Phase 2 of construction kicked off on Oct. 28, 2020, and, in the fall of 2022, Culinary Institute of the Pacific will have a signature restaurant, demonstration auditorium studio and culinary innovation center. Thanks to generous support from donors, these additions will expand programming, hands-on experiential learning, and food innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Tim Dolan, UH vice president of advancement and UH Foundation CEO said, “We are most grateful to all our donors who have played a leading role in bringing our state’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific dream to life. Their philanthropic investments are educating and honing the skills of the next generation of culinary entrepreneurs, and building Hawaiʻi’s post-pandemic economic prosperity and resilience.”