In 1992, in honor of Arnold Eddy, who served as Permanent Master of the Society from 1942 to 1955, the Skull and Dagger Society established the Arnold Eddy Volunteer Service Award. The award is presented annually at the Initiation Breakfast to a current member of the Society who has demonstrated exemplary volunteer service to the University of Southern California.

The 2011 recipient is Yoshi Honkawa (1955).

Yoshi Honkawa embodies the spirit and meaning of demonstrating exemplary volunteer service to the University of Southern California.

 Throughout his 50 years of service, he has helped shape the healthcare system to better meet the needs of patients, their families, and healthcare professionals.  On the local and national level, Yoshi has provided the insight and leadership to resolve challenging issues and bring about change for the good.

Currently, a consultant in health care advocacy for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he retired in 2001 from his role as the Vice President for Government and Industry Relations at the Los Angeles-based medical center.  Prior to his work at Cedars-Sinai, he held executive positions at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the L.A. County-University of Southern California Medical Center.

Yoshi was appointed to serve as a member and, subsequently, as the Chairman of the National Council on Health Planning and Development by President Carter and Patricia Harris, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He also served by appointment of Governor Reagan, as Chair to the State of California Advisory Health Council and by Governors Deukmejian and Wilson  to the California Health Policy and Data Advisory Commission.  He served on the National Policy Council for AARP.

Yoshi has chaired major health policy and planning, community and professional boards and committees including: the American Hospital Association, the California Hospital Association; the Visiting Nurse Foundation and Association of Los Angeles, the Hospital Council of Southern California, the Federation of American Health Systems; the Institute for Diversity in Health Management and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.

Yoshi has been honored and recognized with the California Hospital Association Walker Fellowship, the California Association of Hospitals and Health System’s Award of Merit, and the American Hospital Association Trustees’ Award. He received the Mathies Award from the Partners in Care Foundation and the Volunteer Service Award by WISE Senior Services.

At USC, Yoshi earned a BS degree in Business Administration in 1955.  He is a member and previous Chair of the Board of Councilors School of Policy, Planning and Development (SPPD), a current member of the Friends of the Library, a former member of the USC Associates Board and the Board of Councilors to the School of Medicine. In 1992, he was a recipient of the USC Alumni Service Award and in 2008, received SPPD’s Guardian Award.  In 1995, Yoshi and May (his wife of 55 years), established the Endowed Graduate Fellowship in their name in SPPD. They both are USC Presidential Associates.

The most enduring and endearing aspect of Yoshi’s career is the impact he has made on colleagues. He has been a mentor to generations of healthcare professionals.  May Yoshi’s light continually illuminate our path ahead.