Mahina Eleneki Hugo will join the Liliʻuokalani Trust (LT) team as its educational innovations director, according to Nālei Akina, LT’s vice president & chief program officer.
Ms. Hugo will provide leadership in the development of creative, innovative and entrepreneurial environments for kamali’i (trust beneficiaries); as a member of LT’s youth development team,
she will direct the design, curricular development, and evaluation of new learning initiatives – including youth development pathway programs such as the arts, sports, entrepreneurship, and college and career pathways that unlock, engage, and personalize lifelong learning. Her position was created to support the expansion of LT programs designed to serve the most disadvantaged kamaliʻi and to begin addressing the root causes of poverty affecting Hawaiian families.
“I am thrilled and honored to help advance our vision of creating pathways to a brighter future, to thriving, for our Hawaiian children,” said Ms. Hugo.
Ms. Hugo recently retired from La Pietra – Hawaii School for Girls, where she was head of school for ten years through the end of the 2016-17 school year. During her 25 years at the school, she also served as dean of students, associate admissions director, and health and physical education teacher.
Ms. Hugo earned both Masters in Education and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.