Full Name
Keenan Kurihara
Job Title
Vice President of Enrollment Management & CCO
School/Organization
La Salle College Preparatory
Speaker Bio
Mr. Keenan Kurihara serves as the Vice President of Enrollment Management & Chief Communications Officer at La Salle College Preparatory, an independent, Catholic Lasallian co-educational high school serving the Greater Pasadena Area in Southern California. As a member of the executive leadership team at La Salle, Kurihara oversees the development and execution of La Salle’s strategic plan related to admissions, marketing, communications, brand management, student retention, financial aid, scholarships, and community relations. During his tenure at La Salle, the school has grown its student enrollment by over 10%, increased its year-over-year net tuition revenue by over 15%, and developed a robust and collaborative enrollment management and communications operation in the midst of nationwide headwinds facing independent schools in the region and country.
Prior to beginning his current role at La Salle College Preparatory in 2020, Kurihara served as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Maryknoll School in Honolulu, Hawaii’s largest co-educational K-12 Catholic school, where he was responsible for the school’s strategic brand positioning, executive communications, advertising, marketing, and public relations. Before joining Maryknoll School, Kurihara served in the marketing department at Hawaiian Airlines, the largest operator of commercial flights to and from Hawaii, as well as the Seattle University Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Kurihara is an active member of the Enrollment Management Association (EMA) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). In 2020, he served on the Board of Directors for the PRSA Hawaii Chapter, and in 2022, he presented at the national EMA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, on the topic of strategic school collaboration and financial awarding strategies. He also serves as a member of the Hawaii Catholic Schools Board of Education Marketing Committee and is an active mentor in the EMA’s enrollment management mentoring program.
After graduating from Maryknoll School in Hawaii, Kurihara received his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Affairs and Communications from Seattle University. He is currently enrolled at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, where he is pursuing his Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Enrollment Management and Policy.
Prior to beginning his current role at La Salle College Preparatory in 2020, Kurihara served as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Maryknoll School in Honolulu, Hawaii’s largest co-educational K-12 Catholic school, where he was responsible for the school’s strategic brand positioning, executive communications, advertising, marketing, and public relations. Before joining Maryknoll School, Kurihara served in the marketing department at Hawaiian Airlines, the largest operator of commercial flights to and from Hawaii, as well as the Seattle University Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Kurihara is an active member of the Enrollment Management Association (EMA) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). In 2020, he served on the Board of Directors for the PRSA Hawaii Chapter, and in 2022, he presented at the national EMA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, on the topic of strategic school collaboration and financial awarding strategies. He also serves as a member of the Hawaii Catholic Schools Board of Education Marketing Committee and is an active mentor in the EMA’s enrollment management mentoring program.
After graduating from Maryknoll School in Hawaii, Kurihara received his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Affairs and Communications from Seattle University. He is currently enrolled at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, where he is pursuing his Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Enrollment Management and Policy.
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