Categorized | Business

EHCDC welcomes board members

MEDIA RELEASE

East Hawaii Community Development Corporation welcomes to its Board of Directors Chancellor Donald Straney of University of Hawaii-Hilo and Chancellor Noreen Yamane of Hawaii Community College.

Straney and Yamane will be instrumental in EHCDC’s efforts to meet its mission of working within and for the community, in particular EHCDC’s educational and workforce development initiatives.

Already, both UH-Hilo and HCC have been instrumental partners in the launch of the Hawaii TechWorks program, in particular the design lab at Hawaii TechWorks, which was partially funded by a federal grant UH-Hilo and HCC were critical in helping obtain.

With Straney and Yamane on the board, EHCDC is now better poised than ever to succeed in its goal of facilitating the development of strong community ties through informal networking and relationship-building, helping to create new job opportunities for local residents, and spurring community economic
development for the region.

Board of Directors

Donald Straney, Chancellor, University of Hawaii-Hilo, joined EHCDC March 2013

Donald O. Straney, Ph.D., became chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo at the beginning of July 2010. Straney was dean of the College of Science and professor of biology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and served on the board of directors of the Desert Studies Center and the Ocean Studies Institute as well as on the Strategic Planning Council of the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology.

Straney previously spent 23 years at Michigan State University, where he served as chair of the Department of Zoology and assistant to the provost for faculty development.

Straney is also on the National Advisory Board of the National Science Foundation-supported Center for the Integration of Teaching, Research and Learning at the University of Wisconsin. Straney received a Doctorate in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley, and both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in zoology from Michigan State University.

Noreen Yamane, Chancellor, Hawaii Community College, joined EHCDC March 2013

Noreen Yamane, BEd, MEd, became shancellor of Hawaii Community College effective July 1, 2011. Yamane served as the Interim Chancellor at Hawaii from July 2010 until her appointment as Chancellor. Yamane served the previous year as Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, where she chaired the College Effectiveness Review Committee and oversaw the integration of comprehensive program reviews, budget development, strategic planning and assessment.

Yamane was formerly the Dean of Instruction/Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs where she led the update and revision of Hawaii’s Strategic Plan.

Yamane has received many awards recognizing her leadership and commitment in higher education, including the National Education Association Chair’s Academy International Exemplary Leadership Award, Aalii Chancellor’s Service Award (from Hawaii CC) and the University of Hawaii’s Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching.

Yamane attended Hilo and completed her BEd and MEd at Manoa.

Senior Advisory Board

Barbara D. Miller, PhD, The George Washington University, joined EHCDC January 2013

Barbara D. Miller, PhD, brings with her to the EHCDC Senior Advisory Board more than 35 years of experience as an anthropologist, author, researcher, and world-class educator.

With extensive expertise and experience in development and international affairs, and our recognition and anticipation that the EHCDC mission will have impacts far greater than Hawaii, as well as the need for our mission objectives to be able to translate across both national and international boundaries, Miller is an ideal member of our Senior Advisory Board.

Miller received her BA, MA, and PhD in Anthropology from Syracuse University. She joined The Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University (GWU) in 1993 as a specialist in the Anthropology of International Development.

Before GWU, Miller taught at the University of Rochester, SUNY Cortland, Ithaca College, Cornell University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Miller has served as the Associate Dean of the Elliott School from 1999-2002 and from 2009-2012, while continuing to teach undergraduate courses, as well as graduate seminars, in Cultural and Medical Anthropology.

Miller is professor of anthropology and international affairs; director, Institute for Global and International Studies; director, Culture in Global Affairs Research and Policy Program; and director, Global Gender Program.

Ian Kitajima, Oceanit Executive, joined EHCDC January 2013

Ian Kitajima is a senior executive at Oceanit, one of Hawaii’s largest and most diversified privately-held technology company, with 160 scientists and engineers. Kitajima is responsible for corporate-wide marketing and venturing for Oceanit’s award winning innovations, products, and services.

His greatest strengths are in leading Oceanit into new emerging fields, and in discovering new superstar engineers and scientists. His efforts have led to Oceanit’s entry into nanotechnology, renewable energy, cyber security, homeland security, transportation security and social media.

Kitajima is a founding member of Hoana Medical and is a co-founder of Nanopoint – Oceanit’s two venture-funded companies.

His current efforts are in incorporating the design thinking process with Oceanit’s Innovation Process, as well as introducing design thinking into Hawaii’s educational system. Kitajima is also focused on Oceanit’s newest venture, which is to introduce sensing “Smart” concrete for bridges, roadways, and critical infrastructure.

Prior to joining Oceanit, Kitajima was the CEO of a wireless startup developing virtual communities for mobile phones in Helsinki, Finland.

Kitajima is a co-founder, and the convener of the Hawaii Defense Dual Use industry group, vice chair of the Chamber of Commerce’s Defense Dual Use Committee, and is a board member for several nonprofits, including the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation and PBS Hawaii.

Kitajima secured a degree at the Windward Community College, as well as BBA double major, in marketing and international business, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Shidler Business School.

Morwari Zafar, BA, MA, PhD Candidate, Oxford, joined EHCDC January 2013

Morwari Zafar, PhD Candidate, has eight years of experience coordinating the provision of needs assessment and capacity building initiatives for various organizations, developing surveys and monitoring fieldwork, including working with a team of researchers for an agricultural study, and conducting focus groups, in the U.S. and within local communities internationally in multilingual and multicultural environments.

Zafar has worked with the World Trade Center (International Trade Policies), the University of Puget Sound (University Relations), the Embassy of Afghanistan (Social Institutions Development), and Afghan Youth Sports Exchange (Coordinator -Program Outreach).

Zafar has also worked with USAID (Program Manager -Afghanistan Alternative Livelihoods Program; Afghanistan Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program), International Relief and Development (Program Coordinator in Afghanistan – Journalism Department Mentor; Ministry of Information and Culture Liaison; Communications and Program Officer – Kabul University, Faculty of Agriculture), Creative Associates International (Capacity Development Advisor), University of Maryland, IRIS Center (Deputy Director – PAKAF Pilot Program, and Dyncorp International (AFPAK Instructor -Afghanistan-Pakistan Regional Expertise Training Program.

With an anthropological background in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, and strong writing, editing, and reporting skills, and years of experience in the field focused on community development and capacity building, Zafar is a valued member of the EHCDC Senior Advisory Board.

Zafar will receive her doctorate in anthropology from the University of Oxford in 2017.

Jacqueline Johnson, BA, MA, National Trust for Historic Preservation, joined EHCDC January 2013

Jacqueline Johnson, BA, MA, with 10 years of experience in the field of community development, offers a unique blend of expertise in strategic planning for diversity, community outreach, and professional development training.

With a background in serving the needs of underrepresented communities — Johnson’s work has been instrumental in bringing various perspectives to community development projects. Johnson currently works as a Program Manager in the Partnerships Department at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In her role, she has effectively raised the visibility of diversity efforts within the preservation movement by leading convening projects, reinvigorating outreach programs, marketing, and developing high-level educational content for professionals in the field.

Johnson holds a Masters of Arts in Anthropology from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.

Johnson’s focus on cultural anthropology, community and international development, political science and sociology in her formal education signals her ability to synthesize a variety of complex social and political issues that persist in marginalized and oft-overlooked communities.

The East Hawaii Community Development Corporation, established by Ernest Matsumura and headed by Anthony Marzi, is a non-governmental, non-profit organization working in East Hawaii and surrounding communities.

The goals of East Hawaii (EHCDC) are to: coordinate with, as well as develop and expand upon, existing economic development activities through strategic project planning and outreach to build a vibrant community with quality economic activity; provide training and mentoring, as well as an expanded professional community, so a next generation of leaders can emerge; and, facilitate the development of strong community ties through informal networking and relationship-building, new job opportunities for local residents, and spurred community economic development.

Hawaii TechWorks and Hawaii Food Hub are EHCDC programs that serve these goals.

— Find out more:
http://easthawaii.org

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