The Will J. Hancock Unsung Hero Award is given to business officers who have made extraordinary contributions to their schools and exemplify exceptional integrity, knowledge motivation. At the end of each school year, new Unsung Heroes receive their award from their head of school, often at a significant school occasion such as a board meeting or an all-school ceremony. What makes these Unsung Heroes so special? The highlights below come straight from their colleagues' nominations.
See a full list of the 2018 recipients. Stay tuned to NetAssets.org for additional profiles.
Title: Business Officer
School: Island School, Lihue, Hawaii
Years in current position: 21
Years in an independent school business office: 21
Superpower: Master manager. Goto runs the business office, supervises maintenance and security, oversees the building and grounds and finance board committees, leads training for commercial driver’s licenses and CPR, schedules facility usage, manages health, fire, safety inspections, bus maintenance food service, and organizes evening events. "Simply put [he is] the overall most important employee at Island School."
Strategic thinker: "He is equally talented balancing budgets as he is spending countless hours as my confidant discussing ways to move the school forward." Goto is regularly invited to present at meetings of faculty and staff and the board, and at all-school meetings.
Caring colleague: Goto "has helped countless employees over the years whether it's changing a tire, teaching a couple to dance for their wedding or [installing] a new roof... He mentors not only his staff but me as head of school." He has also helped new business officers on Kauai set up financial databases and shared his business office experience.
Outside the business office: Teaches ballroom dancing to students.
See a full list of the 2018 recipients and read more about the Will J. Hancock Unsung Hero Award. NetAssets.org will post additional profiles of Unsung Heroes throughout the fall — check in to learn more about other recipients.
