MEDIA RELEASE

Kuikahi Mediation Center has elected its board of directors for fiscal year July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

Attorney, arbitrator, and orchid enthusiast Sandra Song was reelected for a second three-year term. Jeri Gertz was elected as the newest board member of the non-profit community mediation center.

“Last November, Jeri Gertz recommended us as the beneficiary for two peace concerts,” said Kuikahi Executive Director Julie Mitchell. “Jeri brings a lot to the table as a board member. She is an accomplished writer, performer, and advocate who can help us substantially expand our reach into the community.”

Gertz is a member of American Association of University Women and a volunteer for the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii (VASH). She is an invited conference presenter in the fields of criminal justice, women’s issues, and communication techniques.

Gertz owns and operates Hilo’s only singing telegram service, Singin’ In The Rain, and is the co-director of Harmony On Tap, a women’s chorus that performs benefit concerts for local charities and social service agencies.

Board officers elected were per diem judge Andrew Wilson as President, land use planner Jeff Melrose as Vice President, attorney Bruce Larson as Secretary, and retired HELCO human resources administrator Norman Kawabata as Treasurer.

Directors include Aaron Brown, CFO and Project Manager for Sig Zane Designs; Nancy Cabral, owner/manager of Day-Lum Rentals & Management and Coldwell Banker Day-Lum Properties; attorney Lea Cooper, Legal Assistant at The Law Offices of Robert Marx; attorney Cody Frenz, founding partner of the law firm Laubach & Frenz; John Petrella, owner of Local Hawaii Real Estate; and Romy Saquing, owner of a consumer-direct product and distribution business.

“Kuikahi is extremely grateful to have such a talented and committed group of directors governing our human services agency,” Mitchell said. “Their diverse backgrounds, careers, and skills will help us fulfill our strategic plan and build capacity, while staying true to our mission, vision, and values.”

Kuikahi Mediation Center empowers people to come together–to talk and to listen, to explore options, and to find their own best solutions.

To achieve this mission, Kuikahi offers mediation, facilitation, and training to strengthen the ability of diverse individuals and groups to resolve interpersonal conflicts and community issues.

For more information, call Kuikahi at 935-7844 or visit www.hawaiimediation.org