Tim Guard

Photo courtesy Battleship Missouri Memorial

Life has been a joy — albeit a busy one — for Tim Guard, as he leads McCabe, Hamilton & Renny Co. as chairman and CEO.

Manoa Valley Theatre, Marimed Foundation and Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation are proud to call him a volunteer and/or board member, and he also is on the boards for Friends of Waikiki Aquarium (he’s a self-proclaimed “ocean guy” who has more than 20 Molokai Channel crossings under his belt) and Hawaii Youth Challenge Academy.

Since 1995, Guard also was on the USS Missouri Memorial Association board of directors, and recently has been appointed chairman. The Navy veteran joined the board during its midway point of getting the USS Missouri to Pearl Harbor.

“It involved all kinds of hurdles we had to go through with the U.S. Navy,” Guard recalls. He credits much of the success to the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye’s interest in the project.

Beyond being a memorial, USS Missouri is a very important and popular visitor attraction. In fact, it’s the third largest non-public visitor attraction in Hawaii.

“I’ve been the vice chairman for the last six or seven years,” says Guard, who replaces Vice Adm. Robert Kihune.

Guard’s promotion to chairman couldn’t have come at a better time, as the association begins to implement its new five-year strategic plan adopted last year.

“One of the most important things that we have to do is maintain the ship at a certain standard of repair,” says Guard. “It’s kind of like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. You start at one end and finish at the other, and start the whole process over again.”

Second on Guard’s to-do list is to make USS Missouri relevant to contemporary society.

“We’re into a generation that barely, if ever, even recalls what World War II was about,” he says. “The (USS) Missouri has to retain a relevance for young people. We can do that through history, through science and technology.”

According to Guard, the board intends to develop unique educational programs for students and visitors: “The things I do are done with passion — passion for the ship and what it represents to this great nation, and the trust that’s been vested in us to care for the ship and maintain it to the highest possible standards.”

Guard is a decorated Vietnam war hero who was honored with a Bronze Star, Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement medals and RVN Legion of Merit.