Ah San Appointed to Oversee Construction of New Medical School at Kaka'ako; Callejo Selected as Replacement

Edwin C. Cadman, dean of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa‘s John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), announced the appointment of Allan Ah San as director of physical facilities for JABSOM with the responsibility to oversee and supervise the construction of the university‘s new medical school in Kakaʻako.

"Allan has been intimately involved in the planning and designing of the new medical school from the inception, and is therefore very familiar with the goals and timelines. More importantly, he knows and has been working with all of the project leaders," said Cadman.

Ah San has worked for the university for over three decades in a variety of administrative positions, most recently as the director of capital improvements. He is a UH alumnus, with a degree in finance from UH Manoa and certification from the National Association of College and University Business Officers Executive Leadership Institute.

A nation-wide search to identify Ah San‘s replacement as the director of capital improvements began in November. The position was established by the Board of Regents in July of 2002 to provide executive leadership for strategic planning and development issues relating to capital improvement projects, long-range physical development plans, and associated capital improvement funding requirements.

The position was advertised for several weeks and a total of 28 applications were received locally and nationally. A committee of six UH administrators screened these applications, interviewed the top four candidates, and made their recommendation to UH president Evan Dobelle. From this process Sam Callejo emerged as the leading candidate for the position because of his extensive and distinguished career in both the public and private sector.

Callejo, currently administrative director/chief of staff to Governor Ben Cayetano, has 14 years in the private sector as a consulting engineer in the design, coordination, and construction process of multimillion dollar projects and developments. In addition, Callejo has had 14 years of experience in the public sector with the City and County of Honolulu and the state of Hawai'i involving various aspects of public procurement, budgeting, and major capital improvement projects. Callejo graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa in 1965 with a B.S. in civil engineering.

UH broke ground for the new JABSOM facility at Kakaʻako on October 24, 2002, and anticipates it‘s completion in the Fall of 2005. The first phase of the facility will include an Education/Administration Building and a Biomedical Research Building — including a child care center, fitness center and a central mechanical plant — totaling approximately 317,225 square feet. The educational building will provide computerized and virtual instructional facilities, a state of the art medical library, an auditorium and seminar rooms, a cafeteria and dining area, and faculty laboratories and offices. The second phase will include a research center and a parking structure that will accommodate 363 cars.

The new JABSOM complex, in addition to being a world-class education and research facility, will function as an economic engine for the state that will create quality jobs, increase biomedical research activity and be a stimulus for a strong biotechnology industry in Hawaiʻi.