Dr. Jennifer Noelani Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua KSK’92

Chair

Dr. Jennifer Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua’s professional career includes over two decades in academia. She currently serves as the assistant vice provost for Faculty Excellence at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Prior to her transition into executive management at UH Mānoa, she served as a political science professor from 2007 to 2021, helping to build the university’s Indigenous politics program, and was named chair of the department in 2017.

In addition to her time as an educator and administrator, Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua has over 20 years of research experience in Hawaiian and Indigenous schooling. An internationally recognized scholar, her work has addressed critical issues on Indigenous food practices and energy.

Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua serves the community as a board member for Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy and co-organizer for Lā Ho‘iho‘i Ea — Honolulu. She previously served as secretary and executive board member for the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, co-founder and board president of Mana Maoli, board member for Hui o Kuapā and Hawaiʻi’s People Fund, and co-founder and board member of Hālau Kū Māna New Century Public Charter School.

A 1992 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua earned a Ph.D. in history of consciousness from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian studies and political science from UH Mānoa.

Robert K.W.H. Nobriga KSK’91

Vice Chair

A class of 1991 Kamehameha Schools Kapālama graduate, Robert Nobriga was born and raised on Maui, but attended Kapālama as a boarder from grade seven. The roots of his ‘ohana are in Hāna, Maui and date back farther to Na‘alehu, Hawai‘i.

Nobriga has served on the Kamehameha Schools Board of Trustees since 2013.

From 2009 until his appointment as trustee, Nobriga was one of two financial experts appointed by the Probate Court as independent audit committee members whose purpose was to assist the Kamehameha Schools Board of Trustees in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities.

Nobriga is the president of Island Holdings, Inc., where he oversees a family of Hawai‘i companies engaged primarily in private equity and real estate investment, insurance products and services, and technology consulting. Prior to joining Island Holdings, Nobriga held several senior leadership roles in Hawai‘i primarily in the banking and health care sectors.

Nobriga served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of American Savings Bank, a subsidiary of HEI, Inc. He also served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Queen's Health Systems where his oversight included the Queen Emma Land Company and the financial investment portfolio (the endowment), the Queen's Development Corporation, and corporate functions of finance and information technology.

Prior to joining the executive team, Nobriga served as a trustee of the Queen’s board where he served as chairperson of its finance committee and as a member of its endowment and audit committees.

Nobriga’s history with health care and academia in Hawai‘i dates back to the 2001 to 2005 time period when he served as the chief financial and operations officer of the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), an important partner for Queen’s in medical education and research.

Nobriga was part of the executive team that led a turnaround of the medical school, stabilizing its financial base, saving its accreditation, and culminating in the development of state-of-the-art biomedical research and education facilities in Kaka‘ako, Hawai‘i.

Prior to his position at Queen’s, Nobriga served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for Hawai‘i National Bank (HNB) where he oversaw finance and operations and was part of the executive team that led a turnaround of HNB, rebuilding its infrastructure, updating strategy and management practices, and restructuring and growing its balance sheet. HNB experienced record growth and financial performance during his eight-year tenure.

Nobriga is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He started his career as a certified public accountant with the international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and split his time between Hawai‘i and California-based clients during the first several years of his career.

He now resides in Kāne‘ohe with his wife and two children.

Crystal Kauilani Rose KSK’75

Secretary/Treasurer

Crystal Kauilani Rose is a founding partner of the law firm Bays Lung Rose Holma, and has practiced real estate, trust, business and construction litigation for more than 35 years.

Rose is an expert in corporate governance and has served on the corporate boards of Central Pacific Bank, Hawaiian Airlines, Gentry Homes Ltd. and Hawaiian Electric Company.

She has also given back to the community in countless ways, including serving as a trustee of The Nature Conservancy; a board member for the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i, Blue Planet Foundation and Child and Family Services; and a member of the advisory boards of Kamehameha Schools and Catholic Charities Hawai‘i.

Born and raised in Hilo, the Kamehameha Schools alumna holds a juris doctorate degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, and a bachelor of science degree in psychology and sociology from Willamette University.

Elliot Mills

Director

Elliot Kawaihoʻolana Mills is the vice president of Hotel Operations for the Disneyland Resort and Aulani a Disney Resort and Spa.

Mills was born in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai‘i and is a graduate of Saint Joseph High School. He holds a degree in travel industry management from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and completed the Cornell Hospitality Management General Managers Program.

He has worked in Hawai‘i’s travel industry for more than 25 years, holding executive and resort management positions on various islands with brands such as Marriott, Hyatt and Outrigger.

In addition to his duties at Aulani, Mills gives back to the local community through service as a board member for Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, HMSA, Kapiolani Women and Children’s Hospital and the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Mills spends the majority of his spare time with his wife and their two children.

Michelle Ka‘uhane KSK’86

Director

Michelle Ka‘uhane’s professional career includes over 15 years of executive leadership experience in public and non-profit administration.

She currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer for Hawai‘i Community Foundation, overseeing the foundation’s external facing departments, including community grants and initiatives, development and donor relations, and strategic communications and public policy. Ka‘uhane joined the foundation in 2018 as Senior Vice President and Community Grants and Investments, managing an annual discretionary grant budget of $40 million.

A leader in the Native Hawaiian community, Ka‘uhane served as President and CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement from 2013 to 2018, helping to advance the national member-based organization’s policy priorities in education, housing, and economic development. She also served as Deputy Director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands from 2011 to 2012 and as executive director of Hawaiian Community Assets from 2004 to 2011.

In 2021, Ka‘uhane was appointed by President Joe Biden to the Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders as a commissioner to help advance equity, justice and opportunity for Asian Americans and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander communities. In addition, she currently serves as a community advisory council member to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.

Locally, Ka‘uhane continues to serve the community as chair for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, President of the Kapolei Community Development Corporation, and member of ‘Ahahui Siwila Hawai‘i O Kapolei.

A 1986 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Ka‘uhane earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Gonzaga University. She currently resides with her ‘ohana in the Hawaiian Homestead of Kaupe‘a.