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Tiffany Edwards Hunt is a middle school social studies teacher and a
"Greenwaves Gazette" adviser at Kea'au Middle School. She is also the Ke
Kalahea student newspaper adviser at UH Hilo. Prior to teaching and advising
full-time, Hunt worked as an investigative reporter, freelance writer, and
publisher of Big Island Chronicle. She has been a member of BIPC since
2001..
John Burnett is the senior reporter at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald with 16 years service at the Hilo daily newspaper, 14 of them covering police and courts. An Illinois native, he arrived in Hawaii in 1973 in the U.S. Navy and stayed after his honorable discharge in 1975. Burnett earned his bachelor's degree in English and a teaching certificate at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and a master's degree in education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He spent 30 years in radio, 12 in Honolulu and 18 in Hilo as a disc jockey, newscaster, talk-show host, program director and sports play-by-play announcer. He is the former voice of UH-Hilo Vulcans athletics and the Hilo Stars of the defunct Hawaii Winter Baseball league. He also taught English for six years in the Hawaii public schools system at Hilo and Waiakea high schools before being hired at the Tribune-Herald in 2006.
Nancy Cook Lauer, Secretary
Nancy Cook Lauer has more than 30 years experience as a journalist, winning national and state awards for newspapers in Florida and Hawaii. She publishes a daily state government news aggregate and commentary blog, All Hawaii News. After retiring in December, 2022, as government reporter for West Hawaii Today, Lauer moved to a part-time position as advisor to Ke Kalahea, the student newspaper at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where she's helping to grow new journalists on the island.
Former president of the Big Island Press Club as well as ongoing vice president of the Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Lauer has a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Old Dominion University. She earned her reporting chops covering the 2000 Bush v. Gore presidential election at Florida’s ground zero and was honored with a BIPC Torch of Light award and a Hawaii state Senate commendation for uncovering questionable spending practices in local government.
Robert Duerr is an award winning writer, film maker. Award winning films for NASA, The Department of the Treasury, World Healing in Hawaii and top music entertainers including AC/DC. Member of Outdoor Writers of America Association and has written for Surfing, Paddling, Cousteau Society, Outdoor Life. Columnist for Hawaii Fishing News. Throughout his career he has volunteered with many Hawaii community groups including independent schools.
An experienced digital and content strategist, Royelen began her social media career with America Online in the nascent days of the social web.
Specialties: Include digital content, social networking, social media, online marketing, analytics, mobile advocacy and organizing campaigns.
Royelen works for Food & Water Watch and, after a 28.5 year effort, finally calls Hawai`i home.
Patsy Y. Iwasaki, PhD. is a professor of English at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. She teaches the introductory and advanced media writing courses, as well as rhetoric, multicultural literature and professional writing. Her research interests and teaching practices include instructional design and development, migration narratives in graphic novels, documentary film, English studies, diversity, place- and community-based, culturally relevant resources in education, and cross cultural exchange and collaboration. She has conducted extensive research activities, published articles, and given presentations in the United States, Asia and Europe in these areas.
Iwasaki has also conducted research and developed educational projects about Katsu Goto, a 19th century labor advocate and important figure in the Japan-Hawai‘i immigration, labor and social evolution narrative. She has published a graphic novel Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story and is currently creating and producing a documentary film about Goto. She is active in the community, serving on the boards for several organizations dedicated to diversity, education, the Asian American community and youth.
She struggles to balance her work, projects, family, snacking on dark chocolate and watching The Mandalorian.
Jim Wilson has a rich history with not only the Big Island newspaper scene, but is actively involved in many groups and associations here. Wilson is an original charter member of the Big Island Press Club.
Wilson graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bacehlor's Degree in Journalism and Business.
He joined Donrey Media in 1962 at Las Vegas Revue Journal. Donrey eventually became Stephens Media and WIlson became their media division manager responsible for 5 west coast dailies plus West Hawaii Today. In 2002, Wilson retired as the Hawaii Tribune Herald Publisher and Stephens Media Division Manager.
Wilson currently serves on the Pacific Tsunami Museum Board of Directors, the Volcano Art Center Board of Directors, and is a member of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce.
In the past, Wilson has served on the boards of numerous associations in Hawaii, including serving role as President of the Hawaii Publishers Association and the President of Hawaii Society of Professional Journalists.
Today, Ross serves as Principal, Current Events, a Strategic Communications Agency.
Ross Wilson Jr., a graduate of Hilo High School attended University of Hawaii Hilo and graduated University of Hawaii Manoa with a Bachelors Business Administration, Travel Industry Management.
Active in the community, Wilson was the West Hawaii Field Representative for former United States Senator Daniel K. Akaka. He serves in the same capacity for United States Senator Mazie K. Hirono.
He currently serves as the Co-Chair of Ahu’ena Heiau, Inc., Chair of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, President, Home Corporation, member of the Board of Directors of the Big Island Press Club, Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation, Hawaii Community Builders, West Hawaii Housing Foundation, and is a member of Hawaii Community College Chancellor’s Advisory Board.
Wilson is a former Chair of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Kona Family YMCA, Kuakini Exchange Club and University of Hawaii Hilo Chancellor’s Advisory Committee. He also served as a member of the Kukio Community Fund Advisory Committee, Kona Kai Ola Foundation, Kona Outdoor Circle Foundation and Hawaii Community Foundation’s West Hawaii Fund. Wilson is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, Friends of NELHA, Kealakowaa Heiau, Hawaii Employer Support for the Guard & Reserve, Hawaii Island Food Bank, Hawaii Island United Way, Big Island Visitors Bureau and Na Leo O Hawaii.
Ross Wilson Jr. is the recipient of the 2010 Hawaii Community College Mahalo Award and the 2012 University of Hawaii Hilo Distinguished Alumni Award.
Michael Phillips is a journalist-meteorologist residing on Hawaii’s Big Island. While he calls the Aloha State home, he’s often traveling around the world covering breaking weather and science news stories ranging from air pollution in China, climate protests in Australia, hurricanes in Texas, weather satellite launches in Florida, or gales in Ireland and England.
His work appears on television, radio, print, and online.
Phillips also forecasts the weather off-air and writes about earth and space science.
Phillips is also working as Executive Producer on an animated television series to get young people interested in earth science.