Dr. VerlieAnn Kapule Malina-Wright

October 19, 1942- September 4, 2019 Dr. VerlieAnn Kapule Malina-Wright received her Doctorate of Education from UCLA in 1978 and has been a lifelong advocate of education. She has over 42 years of teaching and administrative experience the Hawaii public education system, University of Hawai`i and Kamehameha Schools. She served as President of the Pacific American Foundation in 2011- 2018 and became president of PAF Hawaii Inc in 2018. She was the former Chair of the Native Hawaiian Education Council and National President of the Native Indian Education Association. She served on many prestigious state, national and international organizations including the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the World Indigenous Nations-Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) conducting worldwide accreditation of indigenous educational institutions, Native Hawaiian Evaluation Group, Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) Hawaii, Hawaii Maoli, Indigenous Education Institute, the Prince Jonah Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club, The Native Hawaiian Education Association and many more. She has evaluated and accredited programs for the Hawaii Department of Education including the first Hawaiian immersion school, Alu Like, Inc., Native Hawaiian Vocational Education Program, and the Waianae Health Academy. She has been a huge inspiration to PAF’s Aloha ‘Aina curricula development and training team in both its advocacy and in the evolution of the curricula to other communities and islands in Hawaii and beyond. Her community involvement spanned the world having first created the Kamehameha Schools Adult and Community Education School featuring courses in Hawaiian language, music, dance, arts and crafts for families known as ‘Ohana Education and subsequently the Office of Employment Research and Training. She established a statewide Hawaiian Culture Lecture series for traditional cultural practitioners and scholars to teach Hawaiian culture, tradition, language, music, dance, and philosophy to the general public. Conducted a major doctoral dissertation study on the Hawaii Hotel Industry and the educational programs required for employees entering and leaving the field of tourism and hospitality industry. Established and copyrighted the MODELS Curriculum – Modern Office and Distribute Education Learning Systems, a national training model for the hotel industry. As a board member of the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium, International, New Zealand she helped to establish the Indigenous Higher Education School Accreditation process. Accrediting higher education school programs worldwide that base their founding principles on the values and education needs of the indigenous communities designed around traditional knowledge and the transfer of native ways of knowing, doing, being and becoming through cultural lenses with global results. She raised millions of dollars for community organizations that reflected her passion for children, their families and indigenous cultures. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and is survived by siblings Raymond Malina, Calvin Malina Sr., Carolyn Leilani Malina and David Malina Jr., nieces and nephews. A celebration of life services will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at the Waikalua Loko Fishpond in Kane’ohe, 45-231 Kulauli Street from 10am to 1 pm. By her request, her ashes will be placed in Kane’ohe Bay.