History and Past Presidents

The Hawai‘i Public Health Association was founded in 1945. Kaarlo Nasi, a sanitary engineer with the USPHS was the first president and presided over HPHA's first annual meeting that year. The first HPHA constitution stated that the purpose of the association was "to aid in the promotion and protection of public health and to provide for the professional advancement of members".

Please refer to the HPHA publication, "A 40 year History of Public Health and the Hawai‘i Public Health Association", for more details of HPHA’s early years. Charter members are listed, as are the Association’s presidents from 1945-1985.

Click HERE for Hawaii: A Unique Public Health History

Click HERE for HPHA: A 40 Year History of Public Health

CLICK HERE for HPHA past presidents 1945 to 1985

HPHA Presidents since 1985

1986 - Colleen Spiering, Environmental Office, Department of Health

1987 - Richard Knobel, Project Manager, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan

1988 - Clifford Kam, Financial Office, Rehabilitation of the Pacific

1989 - William Dendle, Public Health Consultant

1990-1991 - Nicola Miller, Project Director, Adolescent Health Network, DON

1992-1993 - Frank Chong, Executive Director, Waikiki Health Center

1994-1995 - Jean Evans, Director, Outreach Education Department, Kapiolani Medical Center

1996-1997 - Deborah Goebert, Director, Resident Research Program, John A. Burns School of Medicine

1998-1999 - Linda Kapuniai, Clinical Associate, Sleep Disorders Center, Straub Clinic and Hospital

2000-2002 - Nancy Partika, Executive Director, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies

2003-2004 - Pratisha Budhiraja, Public Health Project Manager, Department of Health

2004-2005 - Loretta Fuddy, Family Health Services Division Chief, Department of Health

2005-2006 – James Rarick, National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

2006-2007 – James Rarick, National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

2007-2008 – James Rarick, National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

2008-2009 – Kawika Liu, Medical Director at Molokai Community Health Center

2009-2010 – Kawika Liu, Medical Director at Molokai Community Health Center

2010-2011 – Kawika Liu, Medical Director at Molokai Community Health Center

2011-2012 – Deborah Zysman, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii

2012-2013 – Deborah Zysman, Good Beginnings Alliance

2013-2014 - Robert Hirokawa, Hawaii Primary Care Association

2014-2015 - Nancy Partika, Public Health Consultant

2016-2017 - Ethan Allen, PREL

2018-2019 - Christian T. Gloria, Associate Professor of Public Health, Hawaii Pacific University

2019-2020 - Hali Robinett, Univ of Hawaii Cancer Center

2021 - Pedro Haro, American Lung Association in Hawaii

2022 - Trisha Kajimura, Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center

2023 - Camonia Graham-Tutt, University of Hawaii West Oahu