Welcome the 2019 Board!

Officers:

President: Patricia (Tricia) Wistinghausen

Tricia Wistinghausen is one of the leading voices in community engagement and public service in Hawaii. Becoming a founding-member of EMP-HI as an undergraduate student, Tricia took advantage of the knowledge and relationships in the organization, rising through the ranks from membership, to board member, and now as President. Tricia currently works for Pacific Wireless Communications and spends much of her time engaging with and serving her community through various programs. In addition to serving at EMP-HI, Tricia remains involved with an an array of causes including: Kauai Violence Prevention Coalition, Committee on the Status of Women, Kauai Women’s Caucus, Prevent Suicide Kauai Task Force, and Kauai Rural Health Association. 

President-Elect (Vice President): Sonya Mills 

A relative newcomer to the Emergency Management field, Sonya Mills brings a variety of experience to the table, both professionally and through community engagement with state and local government, the private sector, and non-profit organizations. Graduating with a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) with a focus in Emergency Management & Homeland Security in the summer of 2018, Sonya continued on, working for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) in Preparedness. Most recently, Sonya had the opportunity to serve as the State’s Situation Unit Leader (SITL) and the State Coordinator for the Hawaii Disaster Recovery Center during the Kilauea Eruption in 2018. She also serves concordantly as the Assistant District Staff Officer of Incident Management for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 20.

Secretary: Peter Hirai, CEM

Peter Hirai is the co-founder of EMP-HI and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM). With over 20 years in the Emergency Management profession, Peter has seen many accomplishments including, being the second President of the EMP-HI organization, serving on the North American CEM Application Review Committee (2015-2017), and being the longest continuous certified CEM in Hawaii for a total of 13 years. Peter currently works for the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard as a Radiological Emergency Planning Specialist, and also teaches Emergency Management at Hawaii Pacific University as an adjunct professor.

Treasurer: Tamara (Tammy) Chapman

Tammy Chapman  brings more than 13 years of experience working with government, private sector, non-profit, and academic institutions in emergency preparedness to EMP-HI. As a member, Tammy values the opportunities that EMP-HI provides to its members by teaching and connecting individuals within the EM field, allowing for the free exchange of ideas and information. With a background in consulting and project management, Tammy recently founded her own emergency management consulting company in 2018, serving clients throughout the state and the mainland. She also currently holds a FEMA-certification as a Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP). 

Erline (Sunny) Greer : Sunny holds a JD in Environmental Law, and two Ph.D’s in American Studies and Public Policy & Administration. She currently  heads the HR department for the First Judicial Circuit on Oahu and is a member of its Emergency Response Team. She also served as a Lecturer of Public Administration at the the University of Hawaii – West Oahu from 2016-2018 and is a trained American Red Cross volunteer.

Robert (Bob) Harter: Bob is a 30-year U.S. Army veteran with a variety of experience in planning, preparedness, exercise, and disaster/humanitarian relief. He has worked for the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Emergency Management since 2011, where he serves as an Emergency Management Staff Officer. He is also a founding member of EMP-HI and an Active American Red Cross volunteer.

Michael Iwashita: Michael is a U.S. Air Force veteran with experience in weather analysis and meteorological/weather forecasting. Currently, he works as a Course Development Program Coordinator for the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC). He is also an active Disaster Response Volunteer for both the American Red Cross and Team Rubicon. 

Timothy (Tim) Martinez, CEM, CMRP: Tim’s background includes 12 years of emergency management experience coordinating federal medical support with other federal, state, and local partners. He is a founding member of EMP-HI, a Certified Emergency Manager, as well an Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) Accreditation Manager. He currently serves in the U.S. Air Force as a Deputy Command Surgeon. 

Craig Gallagher: Craig currently serves as a Senior Medical Planner/Program Analyst for the U.S. Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam, Hawaii. His background includes 18 years of medical planning, medical readiness, strategy development, defense readiness, and logistics coordination.