BBG Group Makes Donation to Ukulele Fund

We are pleased to announce a generous donation that resulted in the purchase of 12 ukuleles! The BBG Group Inc. Fabricio Nobre, CEO, recently made a generous contribution to support Uncle Henry Kamae and the ukulele instruction courses offered to many students, part of NPIEN's school outreach program. This year, Uncle Henry met with students st Davis Middle School and Roosevelt Middle School in the Compton Unified School District, and Stanford Middle School in the Long Beach Unified School District. Uncle Henry is also a workshop instructor at NPIEN's annual education conference. Mahalo BBG Group!

The music classes are popular with all students and teachers, and teach Pacific Islander students and their friends about music and culture.

Each ukulele costs $40, and we also thank Morey's Music of Lakewood, CA for their generous discount. See the NPIEN website home page for information on how to receive a discount from Morey's.

NPIEN Board Elections 2010

The elections for officers for the 2010-2012 term concluded this past week on July 8, 2010. The following were elected as new board officers:

President Martha Gusukuma Donnenfield, Retired Teacher, Long Beach Unified School District (USD)
President-Elect Aileen Tanimoto Matsuura, Teacher, Paramount USD
Immediate Past President Falanai Ala, Facilities Manager, Long Beach USD
Vice President Rita Scanlan, CEO, Pasifik Bridge
Secretary Eugene Mafi, Teacher, Long Beach USD
Treasurer Nikki Wood-Perkins, Teacher, Compton USD
Member & Northen California Chapter President Soledad Santos, Professor, Evergreen College, San Jose, CA
Member Gwen Yates, Assistant Principal, Paramount USD

Ex Officio Member and Executive Director Dr. Victor C. Thompson, Director, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Ex Officio Member and Chief of Staff Tino Andres, Teacher, Compton USD

The new officers will be ratified at the July 19, 2010 Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. at Gateway Business Bank

Board Officers serve two year terms, pay monthly dues, and are responsible for fund development, financial oversight, governance, membership, marketing, and outreach. All are unpaid volunteers. Board Meetings are held the third Monday monthly, 6:00 p.m. at Gateway Business Bank in Lakewood, CA, 4146 Woodruff Ave.

Board Staff, including the Executive Director, Chief of Staff, and others, are also volunteers that administer the organization's initiatives, including the annual conference. The staff is exempt from dues, and attend monthly meetings, normally the second Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

Please contact us at (562) 496-2319 or npien.mail@verizon.net if you are interested in serving on the Board or Staff.

NPIEN BOARD Salutes Together Samoa

NPIEN Board Members Eugene Mafi, President Falanai Ala, Nikki Wood-Perkins, Chief of Staff Tino Andres, and Together Samoa Co-Founder Nemaia Satele

NPIEN recognized Together Samoa Co-Founder Nemaia Satele at its recent board meeting on June 21, 2010 at Gateway Business Bank in Lakewood, CA. Together Samoa, a Gold Level NPIEN sponsor, donated $4,000 towards the NPIEN Tsunami Education Relief Fund, dedicated for the reconstruction of the Saleapaga Primary School in Samoa. Satele is a Long Beach native, who founded Together Samoa with his sister Cimone. They were recently recognized by Samoan Achievers International (SAI) with the SAI Youth Achievement Award. www.togethersamoa.com

Dr. Thompson Goes to Washington D.C.

For my early morning workout, I ran from the White House to the Lincoln Memorial and had a good view of the Washington Monument

I stayed at the Capital Hilton hotel, not far from the White House

NPIEN Members Sefa Aina and Dr. Audrey Yamagata Noji facilitated a session on Underserved Students

Congresswoman Madeliene Bordallo of Guam




It was my honor to represent NPIEN at the first Higher Education Summit sponsored by the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Funds (APIASF), held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in our nation's capital. Neil Horikoshi is the President and Executive Director. APIASF awards thousands of dollars in scholarship funds to deserving students from the Asian and Pacific Islander community. The purpose of the summit was to develop recommendations in key areas such as underserved students, minority serving institutions, and leadership and workforce development. A copy of the summit report can be viewed at http://www.apiasf.org/



It was great to see NPIEN members Sefa Aina, Founding NPIEN Board Member, and Dr. Audrey Yamagata Noji, NPIEN Board Advisor, taking an active role in the planning and facilitation of the event. I met with many long-time colleagues and supporters, including:

• APIASF Board of Directors Chair Jacinta Titialii Abbott


• Matt Finucane and Bouy Te, National Education Association


• Dr. Robert Underwood, President, University of Guam


• Linda Akutagawa, Senior Vice President, LEAP


• Congressman Mike Honda, California


• Martha J. Kanter, Under Secretary of Education


• Tanya Joshua, White House Initiative for Asians and Pacific Islanders


• Gale Awaya McCallum, Executive Director, National Japanese American Memorial Foundation


• Dr. Bob Suzuki, President Emeritus, Cal Poly University Pomona


• Dr. Shirley Hune, University of Washington

and many others. This was a very beneficial opportunity for NPIEN to renew acquaintances with our many partners in Washington D.C. and across the nation. In 2001, I attended a similar summit sponsored by then Congressman Robert Underwood of Guam. NPIEN was born shortly following that meeting. Next year marks the tenth anniversary of NPIEN, and it was good to be in Washington D.C. again almost ten years later.

NPIEN Election Taking Place for New Officers

NPIEN is conducting elections for its new leadership via e-mail July 3-6, 2010. All registered members received a ballot via e-mail. If you have not paid your dues for 2010-2011, you may do so online at www.npien.com. You must register as a member and return your ballot online no later than July 6, 2010.

The candidates:

PRESIDENT Martha Gusukuma Donnenfield – Retired Teacher, Long Beach USD – 3 years on Board, current Treasurer
PRESIDENT-ELECT Aileen Tanimoto Matsuura – Teacher, Paramount USD – 1 year on the Board
VICE PRESIDENT Rita Scanlan – Businesswoman – 2 years on the Board
SECRETARY Eugene Mafi – Teacher, Long Beach USD – 8 years on the Board, incumbent secretary
TREASURER Nikki Wood-Perkins – Teacher, Compton USD – 6 months on the Board

For Your Information:
Falanai Ala, Facilities Planner, Long Beach USD, will remain on the Board as Immediate Past President
Gwen Yates, Assistant Principal, Paramount USD, is a member of the Board
Soledad Santos, Professor, Evergreen College, San Jose, is a member of the Board, and NPIEN Northern California Chapter President