By UHPA President David Duffy.

It may have been Friday the thirteenth, but it was all good for the 80 faculty who showed up for the last stop on JN Musto’s farewell tour of the University system at Manoa Gardens. The drinks were free but the bar line was long, although the pupus and the conversations made the wait more palatable.

At the end of the gathering, about 40 remaining faculty gathered to hear JN talk about his time with the union. JN said that UHPA came out of chaos but over time has matured, with the faculty rising to the challenge when needed. He leaves a strong staff and a strong successor, Kristeen Hanaelman, as Executive Director.He reminded the faculty that though they are the heart of the university it is connections to the public that make UHPA and UH strong, so we must continually maintain and strengthen our roots in the community. Kris then took a few minutes to talk about her background and about her vision of UHPA going forward. We have faced major challenges in the past, we will face major challenges in the future, but UHPA will move forward, protecting its members and strengthening the university.