 | PARENTS | Elizabeth "Liz" Sager Hawaii State Parent Teacher Student Association ("PTSA") Vice President of Leadership Elizabeth "Liz" Sager currently serves as the Vice President of Leadership on the Hawaii State PTSA (also known as the Hawaii Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students) Board of Directors and previously served as President and the Maui Region Director. She was recognized with the award for Highest Membership Growth as Hawaii State PTSA President at the 2012 National PTA Convention. |
 | TEACHERS | Sung Man Park Washington Middle School teacher Sung Man Park, a mathematics teacher at Washington Middle
School, has taught in public schools for 12 years and is the 2017 State Teacher
of the Year, an award that is part of a prestigious national program that
honors teaching excellence in the United States. In 2010, he began coaching Washington Middle
School’s MATHCOUNTS students, and his team has consistently won the state
championship every year since.
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 | SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS | Bruce Naguwa Kapolei Middle School principal Bruce
Naguwa, the Principal of Kapolei Middle School, is a long-time principal
serving at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and worked for two
years as the Deputy District Superintendent of the Leeward School District. Mr. Naguwa also has experience as Principal at the adult school level.
The Hawaii Elementary and Middle Schools Administrators
Association (“HEMSAA”) named him the National Distinguished Principal in 2005
and 2016, the first principal in Hawaii to win this award twice. Mr. Naguwa is credited with turning around
Kapolei Middle School, which was struggling with student growth when he took
over in 2012. Mr. Naguwa, who is also a
past president of HEMSAA, has been involved in the administrative leadership
training program for over 25 years, mentoring a generation of administrators,
including nine vice principals who have gone on to become principals. He holds a B.Ed. and a M.Ed. from the
University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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| COMMUNITY AND NONPROFITS | Cheri Nakamura Hui for Excellence in Education Director Cheri Nakamura is the Director of the Hui for Excellence in
Education (HE‘E), a statewide coalition of diverse stakeholders committed to
working collaboratively to identify opportunities to improve public education
in Hawaii. Ms. Nakamura was previously
the Program Manager for The Learning Coalition where she mapped and evaluated
family engagement in education. She has worked
with education-focused community groups and nonprofits, parent groups, and the
Department of Education to enhance family engagement within schools. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of
Hawaii at Manoa and a B.A. in international economics from the University of
California at Los Angeles.
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 | HAWAIIAN EDUCATION | Cheryl Kaʻuhane Lupenui Founder of the leader project Cheryl
Lupenui is founder
of the Leader Project, a source for strategy, leadership development, and process design that follows indigenous concepts and practices. As a former member of the Hawaii State Board of Education and Chair of the Student Achievement Committee she was instrumental in revising the State's graduation requirements, creating the first Office of Hawaiian Education and Office of Community Engagement, and establishing a new policy for system-level learning outcomes. Ms. Lupenui also previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of YWCA of Oahu and holds an M.B.A. from Tulane University. |
 | CHARTER EDUCATION | Dr. Meahilahila Kelling Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau LPCS Director Dr.
Ivy “Meahilahila” Kelling is the Director of Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau
Laboratory Public Charter School. Dr. Kelling also serves as the School
Director Advisor to the State Public Charter School Commission and has worked in Hawaiian Education (PK-12) for the past 21 years. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. |
 | EARLY EDUCATION | Dr. Robert "Bob" Peters Early Learning Advisory Board Chair Dr. Robert “Bob” Peters is a
prominent early educator and currently serves as the Chair for the Early
Learning Advisory Board as the designee for the Hawaii Association of
Independent Schools. He is a retired
long-time head of Hanahauoli School, a private school that serves students from
junior kindergarten through sixth grade.
Dr. Peters is also the Community Trustee and President of the Samuel N.
and Mary Castle Foundation.
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 | HIGHER EDUCATION | Dr. David Lassner University of Hawaii President Dr. David Lassner has served as the President of the
University of Hawaii System since 2014.
Previously he served as the University of Hawaii’s first Vice President
for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer and has worked for the
system in various capacities for nearly 40 years. Dr. Lassner holds an A.B. in economics and an
M.S. in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and a Ph.D. in communication and information sciences from the University of
Hawaii at Manoa.
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 | MILITARY | Dr. Kathleen Berg (Brigadier General, retired) Interstate Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children Hawaii State Council State Commissioner Dr.
Kathleen Berg, a retired Brigadier General in the Hawaii Air National Guard, whose last assignment was at the U.S. Pacific Command, is the Hawaii State Commissioner for the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and is a Joint Venture Education Forum member. She formerly served as the Director of the Curriculum Research & Development Group, one of the research divisions of the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has been an educator and researcher for over 40 years. Dr. Berg holds a doctorate in educational psychology and her most recent research and publications focused on military dependent students in Hawaii's public schools. |
 | BUSINESS | Barry Taniguchi KTA Super Stores Chairman and CEO Barry Taniguchi is a Hilo-born entrepreneur and has served
as the President and Chief Executive Officer of KTA Super Stores since
1989. Recognized as a community leader
and volunteer, he serves on the board of trustees for the Public Schools of
Hawaii Foundation and has served on numerous other boards for nonprofit
organizations, including the Hawaii Community Foundation, Boy Scouts of America
Aloha Council, Hawaii Island Foodbank, Tax Foundation of Hawaii, and Queen’s
Health Systems. Mr. Taniguchi holds a
bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a certified public accountant.
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 | ENGLISH LEARNERS | Dr. Patricia Halagao University of Hawaii College of Education Dr.
Patricia Espiritu Halagao is an Associate Professor in Curriculum Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education specializing in social studies and multicultural education and was awarded the University of Hawaii Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching in 2012. As a former member of the Hawaii State Board of Education, she championed equity and cultural diversity and spearheaded the development of Board policies establishing multilingualism in schools and the Seal of Biliteracy program. Dr. Halagao holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction and was previously a teacher in the Oakland Public Schools system.
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 | SPECIAL EDUCATION | Susan Rocco Special Education Advisory Council of Hawaii
Susan Rocco is a dedicated advocate for students with disabilities. In her capacity as the Coordinator for the Special Parent Information Network, Ms. Rocco serves as staff to the Special Education Advisory Council of Hawaii, a diverse group of individuals with expertise on all aspects affecting special education and related issues. |
