Advancement Vice President Brooke Peterson named Bryce Pendleton the new director of Marketing and Communications at �鶹����Hawaii, beginning June 2. He will oversee the university's marketing strategies, communications, and branding initiatives, as well as the Marketing and Communications department.

Pendleton joins �鶹����Hawaii from Southern Virginia University (SVU), where he served in numerous marketing, communications, and technology roles, including most recently as the vice president of brand and technology.

Bryce is an incredible professional with more than 10 years of experience in higher education branding and marketing, said Vice President Peterson. During his time at SVU, he directed a full visual identity rebrand and redesigned and rebuilt a responsive university website from the ground up. We are excited to bring his testimony and talents to �鶹����Hawaii.

Pendleton graduated as valedictorian from SVU with double majors in art and political science, where he also earned ESPN Academic All-American honors as a basketball player and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society. He later completed the M.Arch III architecture program at Virginia Tech and worked at an architecture firm before returning to SVU as an instructor of design and UX designer on the marketing team.

"I believe deeply in the power of education and in the Lord's commandment to seek learning by study and by faith, said Pendleton. Education opens doors of opportunity and prepares disciples of Jesus Christ to lead and serve I'm inspired by the opportunities that �鶹����Hawaii provides for students and the generational impact those opportunities create.

Originally from Washington state, Pendleton served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission. He and his wife, Neely, met as students at SVU and were married in the Washington D.C. Temple. Neely served a full-time mission in the Arizona Tempe mission before earning a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. She has worked as an elementary school Spanish teacher, taught early morning seminary, and served for nearly 12 years as the head cheer coach at SVU.

The Pendletons have spent much of their married lives serving and working with youth and young adults; Bryce has served as an elders quorum president, Young Mens president, a counselor in a YSA ward bishopric, and in a Sunday School presidency. Together they have three children, and when not at work, the family enjoys spending time at the beach, watching sports (especially basketball), catching an episode of

, and studying the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today, the Church Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr. R. Kelly Haws as �鶹����Hawaiis Academic Vice President, effective July 1. For more than 40 years, Dr. Haws has served, taught, and inspired students and administrators within the Church Educational System (CES). Dr. Haws will immediately begin working closely with Dr. Isaiah Walker to ensure a smooth transition. Dr. Haws will also continue to serve as acting president of �鶹����Hawaii until President John S.K. Kauwe III returns to service, which is expected to be July 1, 2026.

Dr. Isaiah Walker has served as academic vice president for five years and will return to his scholarly work and teaching in the �鶹����Hawaii Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts. Speaking of Dr. Walkers contributions, President Kauwe said, Isaiah has led us through a remarkable period of transformation: significant curriculum refinement, the hiring of dozens of outstanding new faculty, successful accreditation with NWCCU, developing and teaching the Holokai Foundations course, and many other efforts that have greatly blessed our students. I love him, and I am deeply grateful for his faithful and exemplary service. He is loved and respected by CES leadership and the Board of Trustees, who frequently praise the positive impact of his leadership on the success of our students and the mission of this university. His heart has always been with our students, and we are excited for him and our students as he returns to the classroom this fall.

Regarding Dr. Haws appointment, President Kauwe said, I have had the privilege of working closely with Kelly for several years. He is kind, wise, and fully committed to the mission of �鶹����Hawaii and the Church Educational System. I am deeply grateful for what he and Connie have done to support �鶹����H this year while serving as acting president. I am delighted to have him join us to lead academics as we build upon the strong foundation that has brought us to this point and continue moving this important work forward.

I am confident Vice President Haws will excel in this new role, but he will be missed in the Commissioners Office, where he has served as assistant to the commissioner, as well as secretary to the CES Boards of Trustees, and managing director of CES since August 2018, said Elder James R. Rasband, Commissioner of the Church Educational System.

From 1984 to 2017, Dr. Haws taught extensively and held key leadership roles within Seminaries and Institutes of Religion. His assignments included responsibility for the work in Africa, the Caribbean, and Canada, training throughout Asia and the Pacific, as well as operations worldwide. From 2017 to 2018, Dr. Haws served as director of correlation evaluation for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before his appointment to the Commissioners Office.

Dr. Haws earned an associate degree from Snow College, where he also played basketball and served as student body president, a bachelors degree from �鶹����, and a masters degree from Utah State University. He began doctoral work at the University of Utah in higher education administration before completing his doctorate at George Mason University.

Name: Megan Naihe

�鶹����H Employee since: I worked as adjunct faculty from 2013-2016 and then again in 2021-present.

My job at �鶹����H is: English instructor, Faculty of Arts & Letters

I grew up in: Shingle Springs, California

Did you graduate from �鶹����H? Yes! I graduated from �鶹����H in English back in 2003.

I chose to teach at �鶹����H because... I LOVE THIS SCHOOL! Honestly, I absolutely love my job and consider myself lucky every day I get to teach here. It is the best job in the entire world because this campus is so special.

My favorite thing about teaching... My favorite thing about teaching is THE STUDENTS! I love the students at �鶹����Hawaii. There is nowhere else in the world where you can be in a classroom with students from all around the globeFiji, Tonga, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, New Zealand, Alaska, and morewho are also united by a shared belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It makes this campus incredibly special and a joy to be part of every day.

The best-kept secret at �鶹����H is... Im not sure its really a secret, per se, but man-- the �鶹����Hawaii and Koolauloa communities are amazing. They are the very definition of community-- always willing to help, support, and lift one another.

During the recent flooding, this was more evident than ever! Everyone was out supporting and helping each other, even those whose homes had flooded.

In fact, my husband, Kelii, and I love this community so much that after we graduated from �鶹����H, we chose to stay and raise our kids here. This place is so special, and its mainly because of the people.

Best advice I've ever received about teaching... I am innately shy and terrified of public speaking. I never wanted to be a teacher because it's so far out of my comfort zone. When I was approached to be a teacher on campus, I initially wanted to say "no" because the idea terrified me so much, but during a discussion with my mom, she told me, "There is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the growth zone. If you want to grow, you'll take this job." Because of this, I faced my fear and decided to teach. Yes, it still scares me every day, but I have grown so much as a person and teacher, and I've also found my dream job, so I'm incredibly grateful I said yes! It's extremely important to do things in life that scare you. You never know where that path might lead you.

My most cherished memory at �鶹����H... My best memory at �鶹����Hawaii is meeting my husband, Keliithat will always be my most cherished experience. A close second is when he and my brothers played basketball for �鶹����H. I loved the excitement and sense of community at those gamesit made the campus feel especially alive.

My advice to incoming first-year students is... Enjoy and make the most of your experience here. Youve taken time out of your life to come to school, so invest in yourself. Go to class! Really read and mark up those texts. Find your voice and write your papers yourself. Gain different perspectives. Get to know your classmates and your teachers. Explore this beautiful island! Learn about Hawaiian history and culture. Learn about Laie. Serve and get to know the community. Take advantage of having the Temple nearby.

What you put into this experience is what youll get out of it-- so go all in!

My favorite lecture/course to teach is... I love teaching English 101 because most students come into the class feeling nervous, annoyed, or even scared of English. My hope is to help them see that their voice and story matter, and that with a little guidance and practice, they can become strong writers. They can do this!

For many students, its an opportunity to start fresh, especially if theyve struggled with the subject in the past. My hope is to help them find their voice and believe in themselves.

On Saturday mornings, you'll find me... on a hike or somewhere outside. I love exploring this island, whether it's at the beach, in the water, or up in the mountains. I try to get outside as much as possible. More than likely, you can also find me at one of my kids' basketball games.

If I could travel anywhere, I would go to... Everywhere. No, seriously, I want to visit everywhere. Every country! That's my bucket list.

When I have 30 minutes of free time... I call my mom and dad. Or I go for a walk on the beach behind my house. Sometimes I combine the two.

One item on my bucket list is... to earn my Ph.D. in English Literature while living abroad-- most likely somewhere in the U.K.

My favorite hike on the island is... It's not a super popular choice, but I love Laie Falls. When I was in college, my brothers and I would mountain bike up to Pine Forest every Saturday, so it's just a feel-good, nostalgic hike for me. And it has every sort of terrain imaginable-- jungle, pine trees, a lookout that reminds me of Ireland, a waterfall, and a great view!

During the summer months... My family does our best to travel to other parts of the world. Last year, we took our kids to Japan. The year before that, Tahiti. And the year before that, Mexico. We also try to get to the beach as much as possible while were on island, especially before the school year gets too busy.

What's one thing that can instantly make your day better? A Dr. Pepper Zero with some coconut creamer in it. My favorite beverage right now.

What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them?

I love designing and decorating homes. My husband and I have built a couple of homes together, and its been such a fun experience for us. We really enjoy working together and do it well as a team.

We got into it because my husband has a background in construction, and when the opportunity came, we were able to design and build our own homes. Its something weve really loved doing, and I hope we get to build a few more in the future.

I also very much enjoy writing. Ive been writing for as long as I can remember, and I especially enjoy writing about my life experiences-- its a great outlet for me. My kids also love reading about themselves, so my stories often become a fun family journal.

On Friday nights, you'll find me... Hanging out with my family, either at home, at a basketball game, or testing out a new food truck on the North Shore.