Politicians must join ranks with leaders from business, labor and community groups to accomplish common goals. Crafting many of these alliances in modern Hawai‘i are public relations and marketing professionals like Walter A. Dods, Jr., former chairman of First Hawaiian Bank, Alexander & Baldwin and HawaiianTel, and a campaign organizer for governors and senators.
In Dodd’s new book, Yes! A Memoir of Modern Hawai‘i, he shows how dreams and schemes become a reality for corporations like First Hawaiian Bank, and state officials like governors Cayetano and Ariyoshi and U.S. Sen. Inouye. It’s a fascinating view of events we only know from the outside — the savings and loan disaster or Ariyoshi’s journey from, “who’s he?” to a household name. Dods’ candid account of the 2008 HawaiianTel bankruptcy and First Hawaiian’s debut venture in Japan define the high stakes he faced. Sober analysis and backing up his “Yes!” with results is an important lesson for all executives.
Yes! is more than Dods’ personal account of his many accomplishments. Pull quotes reveal the deep relationships Dods forged with champions of Hawai‘i business, government and community service, proving again that all deals, are between people. Like his other achievements, this beautiful memoir is a collaboration with two Honolulu Advertiser journalists — Gerry Keir and Jeff Burris — who covered Hawai‘i politics and business for decades.
Yes!, A Memoir of Modern Hawai‘i is available in local bookstores and directly from Watermark Publishing, 808-587 7766 or www.bookshawaii.com. The price is $19.95, and all proceeds go to Aloha United Way.
