By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
With a strong background in business and a deep love for his alma mater — not to mention champion-level coaching skills — Damien Memorial School’s new president and CEO is ready to lead the Kalihi campus into the future.
Walter “Wally” Marciel, a 1979 Damien graduate, was officially appointed as president and CEO effective Feb. 5, after serving as the interim president and CEO since mid-2024.
“Over the past 20 months, Wally … has done a tremendous job in guiding the school in a positive direction,” said Lanson K. Kupau, chairman of Damien’s board of directors, in a March 7 statement.
“The Damien ohana looks forward to working alongside Wally to continue to strengthen the school’s academic programs, nurture spiritual growth, and foster a strong sense of giving within our communities.”
In an interview with the Hawaii Catholic Herald, Marciel said that as permanent president and CEO, “my goal is to continue building on this foundation — ensuring stability, elevating our programs, expanding opportunities for students and positioning Damien for long-term growth.”
Wide range of expertise
Before taking on the interim president role, Marciel was president and CEO of H&W Foodservice/Palama Holdings and vice president/general manager of Jet Hawaii Forwarders, a local freight forwarding company. He had also served on Damien’s board of directors and at one point was its chairman.
Beyond the office, Marciel was an acclaimed basketball coach for Kailua High School’s varsity boys squad. He was the Surfriders’ head coach for 14 years, leading the team to an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II championship in 2013 and a Division I title last year.
He stepped down as head coach upon being named Damien’s permanent president and CEO.
Dannan Smith, Damien’s community relations liaison and a 1999 graduate, said that Marciel’s business background is a valuable asset.
“While our foundation is rooted in faith and education, the reality is that running a school also requires sound financial leadership,” Smith told the Herald.
He added that Marciel knows how to generate and responsibly manage the resources Damien needs to support its teachers, staff, facilities and programs.
Marciel said his time at Damien was crucial to forming who he is today.
“What Damien instilled in me more than 47 years ago — faith, discipline, purpose and drive — prepared me for life,” he said. “Those lessons have stayed with me, and they continue to guide my leadership today.
“I’m a proud alumnus, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to guide Damien forward and ensure our students receive an outstanding education,” he added.
Smith agreed that having a graduate in the top leadership role benefits both the campus and its staff.
“Wally isn’t doing this for recognition or financial gain — he’s doing it out of love for the school,” he said.
Looking ahead
Marciel said that his tenure as Damien’s interim president and CEO “was truly meant to be temporary — simply an opportunity to help stabilize the organization, support the faculty and staff, and provide leadership during a period of transition.”
As a former Damien board member and chairman, he said, “I had a deep understanding of the school’s needs and the challenges it was facing.”
The appointment stretched to nearly two years because “the work was important, the community needed continuity and I felt a responsibility to ensure Damien stayed on solid footing,” Marciel continued.
When the time came to assess whether the president’s seat should formally be filled, according to Marciel, the school’s leadership and the Christian Brothers (the religious congregation that sponsors Damien) observed that the school was “moving in a positive direction” and that a permanent leader should be installed.
They recommended that Marciel step into the role.
Marciel said that during his interim leadership, Damien has “strengthened operations, improved communication and aligned our teams around a shared mission of serving our students and honoring our 64-year legacy.” Yet there is still much to focus on, such as boosting enrollment, keeping tuition affordable and taking care of the decades-old campus.
One major undertaking is the funding and building of a new athletic field — the De Veuster Multi-Sport Field. The capital campaign for the project kicked off in April 2024; Marciel described it as “the most historic campus improvement since the gym was built 47 years ago.”
Once complete, Damien’s teams will finally have a home field to host games, tournaments and youth clinics, Marciel said. The Monarchs currently do not have sufficient space on their Kalihi campus for field-based competition and play all such games
off-site.
“The field is just the beginning of a new era for our school,” he said.
Marciel said he is “honored to serve and to help strengthen the legacy that has meant so much to me and to generations of Monarchs.”
“For me, it has always been about ‘we’ — the collective effort, the shared purpose and the way we lift one another up. That spirit is what moves our school forward, and I’m proud to serve with a team that embodies it so fully.”