Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Ige Appoints Three to Board of Regents
By News Release @ 1:55 AM :: 3086 Views :: Higher Education

New members appointed to UH Board of Regents

From UH News, January 14, 2019

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents welcomes three new members: Robert Frank Westerman (Kauaʻi County), Alapaki Nahale-a (Hawaiʻi County) and Kelli K.K. Acopan (Student Regent).

“The new regents bring with them a wide range of experience and the board will benefit greatly from their expertise,” said Board of Regents Chair Lee Putnam. “We look forward to their contributions over the upcoming year.”

Nahale-a will fill outgoing Regent Doug Shinsato’s seat, Acopan replaces Regent Brandon Higa and Westerman fills a vacant seat.

“We thank outgoing Regents Doug Shinsato and Brandon Higa for their service, dedication and outstanding contributions to the university during their tenure,” said Putnam.

Their appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate during the 2019 regular session of the Legislature.

Robert Frank Westerman
Kauaʻi County, will serve through June 30, 2022

Robert Frank Westerman is the retired chief administrator of the Kauaʻi Fire Department. He ensured that the fire department and ocean safety bureau employees were highly skilled, well trained, professionally educated, adequately equipped and motivated to provide the best service possible when saving lives and property on Kauaʻi.

His belief in lifelong education was one of the pillars of his administration. He was the first Kauaʻi fire chief to encourage and allow attendance at the National Fire Academy and he also brought back the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification through Kauaʻi Community College.

Westerman earned his MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and a BSBA from the University of Phoenix.

He is a Vietnam Veteran retired from the United States Air Force after 20 years of service. His commendations and medals include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Humanitarian Service Medals, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

Westerman also serves as a board member of the Kauaʻi United Way and the West Kauaʻi Business and Professional Association and is a Life Member of the American Legion, Westside Post 51.

He is married to Ann Marie Wooton and they have three children and nine grandchildren.

Alapaki Nahale-a
Hawaiʻi County, will serve through June 30, 2023

Alapaki Nahale-a is Kamehameha Schools’ senior director of community engagement and resources for Hawaiʻi Island. He works to connect programs, services, lands and resources with communities Kamehameha Schools interacts with and supports.

Born and raised in Hilo, Nahale-a is a 1986 graduate of Kamehameha Schools and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania.

Nahale-a spent more than 25 years serving the community in a variety of roles including as director and chairman of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the East Hawaiʻi commissioner. He also worked extensively for charter schools as president and executive director of the Hawaiʻi Charter School Network, director of Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School and director of Ka ʻUmeke Kaʻeo Hawaiian Immersion Public Charter School.

He served on a variety of community boards and commissions including chairperson of the County of Hawaiʻi Cultural Resources Commission, member of the County Charter Commission, board member of the Boys and Girls club of the Big Island and board member of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

President Obama appointed Nahale-a to serve on the Presidential Scholars Commission where he helped to set commission policy and select top high school scholars from around the country.

Kelli K.K. Acopan
Student Regent, will serve through June 30, 2020

Kelli Acopan is currently pursuing a masters degree in history at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, focusing on gendered social history in the U.S. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor of arts in history from UH Mānoa and earned her associate of arts degree at Windward Community College.

Acopan served two years as president of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaiʻi at Windward CC. She served on campus and systemwide committees, actively submitting legislative testimony, and collaborating with community organizations such as the Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club and the Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board to ensure that the student voice was heard on policy from both the UHSystem and the surrounding community. She also served as UH Student Caucus vice chair.

Acopan supports student success through academic tutoring and outreach for K–12 students as both a Hawaiʻi Department of Education substitute teacher and program assistant with the Upward Bound program at Windward CC, and serves as a graduate assistant with the history department at UH Mānoa.

Acopan is a member of the Alpha Lambda Theta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society at Windward CC and UH Mānoa, the Alpha Beta Epsilon Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society and the 130th Chapter of the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Acopan is a wife and mother of three.

---30---

SA: Gov. Ige appoints 3 regents to University of Hawaii board

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii