Tyler Hokama '92 in theater seats at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Tyler Hokama '92 in his senior year with the Pomona College Blue and White a capella group.
Nestled between the Siskiyou and Cascade mountains is the home where former finance executive Tyler Hokama ’92 retired with his wife and son — retired, that is, until getting a call to serve as interim executive director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF).
Hokama accepted the challenge, overseeing business operations for the world-class theater organization from June 2023 to September 2024.
“Being able to serve OSF was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Hokama. “As a local and a fan of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 20 years, it was a way to be of service to one of the largest American theaters in its time of need.”
Hokama credits his Pomona liberal arts education for the journey that led him there. “At the core, the liberal arts education I received is foundational to how I have basically approached life thereafter,” Hokama says. “Throughout my life, I have remained intellectually curious and committed to lifelong learning.”
As an economics major at Pomona, theater wasn’t necessarily a part of his degree requirements, but Hokama was able to take several theater classes, including a Shakespeare course. Through this cross-disciplinary learning, he gained a surprising, yet strong, appreciation for something that went beyond his core course of study.
After Pomona, Hokama went on to get his MBA from Duke University before launching a career that spanned 17 years in Silicon Valley, working for several tech companies including Hewlett-Packard and Adobe Systems.
At Adobe, Hokama worked in corporate development supporting Mergers & Acquisitions. During this period, he found himself relying on his liberal arts background. “When you are a bigger company acquiring a smaller one, you must approach it with curiosity and an appreciation for things that are different.” Hokama went on to say, “In this role, I wasn’t just a finance guy or a marketing guy. I needed to know how everything worked in order to be successful. My education at Pomona gave me the ability to understand and adapt.”
In retirement, Hokama called upon the breadth and depth of his experiences to consult for the Southern Oregon Small Business Development Center, helping local companies and entrepreneurs in their early stages.
Though, when his teen son found a passion for theater, Hokama was inspired to get involved in the world of performing arts. He immersed himself in the Ashland, Oregon, theater scene by tapping into his business acumen and joining the boards of the Camelot Theater and the Rogue Theatre Company.
It was then that Hokama saw firsthand how the performing arts were still suffering from the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
He was initially approached by OSF to help their endowment fund, but instead left with the title of interim Executive Director of one of the largest and most storied American theater companies.
After leading the organization for a year, Hokama officially handed over the reins to their permanent director in September.
He remains curious and open to what is next — and having previously completed an ultra-marathon, Hokama is excited to get back to training for the next race. He will also be returning to music to write his sophomore album, following his debut record “Zero Nova,” which was released in 2021.
In a time when the value of the liberal arts is often questioned, Hokama is determined to be their champion. “A liberal arts education defines and drives intellectual curiosity, which is essential in any individual. There is an undervaluing of how knowledge across disciplines is treated, but there is so much out there that proves otherwise — my journey is just one of them.”