LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS FOR HAWAII'S IT LEADERSHIP
OUR COMMITMENT
GREAT LEADERS AREN’T JUST BORN – THEY’RE DEVELOPED
As the premier non profit organization for Hawaii’s IT Leaders, the CIO Council of Hawaii is committed to invest in our current and future IT Leaders.
At CIOCH Leadership Academy, we empower IT professionals to unlock their full leadership potential through collaborative learning experiences. Our program is designed to help leaders at every stage: from emerging or potential managers to seasoned directors or VPs.
The Leadership Academy is operated on a volunteer basis by current and former Hawaii IT Leaders.
LEARN TO BECOME A GREAT LEADER WHILE MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR HAWAII’S FUTURE IT WORKFORCE
Net proceeds from tuition is donated to CIOCOH’s Ka Liko fund, which funds educational experiences for college level IT students.
KA LIKO FUND
MAKING A DIFFERENCE – INVESTING IN HAWAII’S FUTURE IT WORKFORCE
The CIO Council of Hawaii’s Ka Liko Fund helps students preparing for a career in technology perform activities that go beyond obtaining a good education and doing well in school. These can include obtaining work-based learning experiences, networking with professionals in the field, involvement in technology related organizations and conferences, personal passion projects in the field, and other extracurricular activities. These “going beyond” activities and initiatives, while very important to the professional development of the student, often take money and resources to accomplish.
Instructors and mentors involved in the Leadership Academy are volunteers and not compensated for their time. Tuition is used to cover costs of educational materials, venue, parking and any other associated costs to conduct the training. Any net proceeds will be directed to the Ka Liko fund.
BENEFITS
Build confidence and clarity in your leadership style
Learn how to become a great leader
Learn what your strengths are and how to leverage them
Improve your presentation skills through storytelling
Learn from seasoned Hawaii CIOs
Join a community of purpose-driven leaders
Participants will be mentored by a current or former Hawaii IT leader during the duration the session
WHAT MAKES OUR PROGRAM SPECIAL
Leadership is not confined to textbooks or white papers—it’s a living practice. It grows through human connection, real-world experience, and the support of a community.
CIOCOH’s Leadership Academy specializes in bringing the living practice to life. Our program brings in person human interactions and engagement with the local Hawaii IT community.
Cohort sessions are held locally in a meeting room of a Hawaii company. Participants engage in person with the instructor and fellow cohort participants. They are able to share conversations that are Hawaii specific.
Not only are the instructors well versed in the Hawaii IT profession, they can speak to the full spectrum of coming into the Hawaii industry thru to being the top leader.
Cohort participants will get access to a mentor that is a local IT leader.
Cohort participants will get access to networking opportunities to Hawaii’s IT leadership community. The CIOCOH will make available access to some exclusive CIOCOH events.
Stay tuned for more benefits! As the cohorts grow, we envision cohort exclusive networking activities as we continue to grow the community of Hawaii’s future IT leaders.
VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS
Colbert Seto is a retired Hawaii IT leader. He began his career as an electrical engineer and after a decade transitioned to IT.
He has over two decades of IT leadership experience, having served as the top IT leader for various organizations in Hawaii.
Colbert has been passionate about leadership since participating in Leadership programs at Hawaii Pacific Health, American Savings Bank and Pacific Coast Banking School.
SUPPORTING VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTOR
Dean Tomita is the Senior Director of IT at Kamehameha Schools, where he leads the Enterprise Technology Division and is responsible for providing information and education technology services to the organization for the past 15 years.
He has over 30 years of experience in instructional technology and IT and has spent time in the classroom and has served in various instructional technology roles.
Dean is passionate about leadership and training and setting up our next generation of leaders for success. He hopes to one day write and publish a book on leadership and pass on the knowledge and experiences that he has learned throughout his career.
CURRICULUM
The Leadership Academy curriculum is designed to develop authentic, resilient, and high-impact leaders who can drive lasting success. Participants will explore personal leadership identity, learn how to build strong and sustainable organizations, master the art of influence through storytelling, and create team cultures rooted in authenticity and engagement.
There are two courses offered. Year 1 – Leadership Foundations and Year 2 – Engaging Your Team and Strategic Planning. Each course is structured as follows:
Cohort based learning
Small group settings (4-10 people)
10 monthly in-person classes (10 half-day sessions, 2 sessions may be longer if cohort is greater than 5 participants)
One monthly one-on-one virtual coaching session with instructor
Each Leader will be assigned a CIO Council mentor
Each Leader will serve as a mentor for a college student
YEAR 1 – LEADERSHIP FOUNDATIONS
FOUNDATIONS OF GREAT LEADERSHIP
Cohort participants will get a foundational understanding of leadership utilizing the Flywheel Effect concept from the book Good to Great. Participants will learn the importance of Level 5 leadership and how Confronting the Brutal Facts will lead to the inflection point to become a great leader.
IT STORYTELLING AND PRESENTATION SKILLS
Being proficient in presentations to get buy-in or approval of initiatives are essential to an IT leader. Cohort participants will learn how to give effective presentations utilizing the concepts of storytelling.
A leader must be authentic. No one leader is alike. Cohort participants will explore who they are and what their crucibles are that form them as leaders. Through this journey, participants will use this to be a respected authentic leader.
Cohort participants will take the CliftonStrengths assessment to identify their top 10 strengths. Participants will learn how to leverage their strengths to be an effective leader.
YEAR 2 – ENGAGING YOUR TEAM AND STRATEGIC PLANNING
Cohort participants will understand the role a team and company’s culture plays in leading an effective IT organization. The simple thought of excellence through execution cannot be sustained without the right culture.
HOW TO BUILD THE RIGHT CULTURE
The pool has lost its reflection in the spread, imbued with an inner light that seems to have its own authority, though not lacking in warmth.
Strategic planning is not a once a year event during the budgeting process. It is one that should be considered on a daily basis and always on the mind of great IT leaders.
Cohort participants will learn how to develop a sustainable IT strategic plan in support or that serves as a springboard for their organizations strategy.
Cohort participants will participate is a Leadership Simulation that will serve as a capstone for what they have learned in the CIOCOH’s Leadership Academy.
TUITION COSTS
CIOCH’s Leadership Academy brings together two worthy objectives, investing in your leadership team and investing in the future IT workforce in Hawaii. No other leadership program can say this.
Cohort 2 signups are now live! Cohort sessions run from April 2026 through March 2027 (no meeting in December). You can sign up today by clicking below. Tuition costs are noted on the left table.
DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE NETWORK WITH THE NEXT GROUP OF IT LEADERS IN HAWAII!
BUILDING HAWAII’S IT COMMUNITY
The CIO Council of Hawaii is committed as illustrated in our Flywheel diagram to the development of a sustainable IT community in Hawaii. From engaging educators and students to student development programs to the development of our current IT workforce, the CIOCOH is proud to continue to invest in Hawaii’s IT community.
