Alapaki Nahale-a

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.