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🚨UPDATE: EMP-HI ELECTIONS/ANNUAL DINNER DATE NOW 12/9/2025 🚨

Aloha fellow EM Professionals:

We were afraid that our Halloween nomination deadline was scaring people away and that there just wasn’t enough time to concoct our witch’s brew to serve dinner on 11/11.  So, we have postponed our annual dinner and board elections to December.  This will keep our cadence of meeting on the second Tuesday of even months, with the annual dinner on Tuesday, December 9.  We are excited to return to the waterfront location of the 604 Restaurant at Pearl Harbor.

Timeline

–  Monday, November 24 – Registration deadline for annual dinner.

–  Friday, November 28 “Black Friday” – Deadline for self-nominations for 2026 board.

–  First week of December – Online voting for 2026 board members.

–  Tuesday, December 9 – Annual Dinner at 604 Restaurant at Pearl Harbor.

Interested in running for an officer or director position?

Please email the following information to: empofhawaii@gmail.com 

  • First and Last Name
  • Position you wish to serve
  • Short Bio (about you, why you want to serve on the Board)
  • Professional Photo of You

This info will be shared with our membership for their consideration of your candidacy.

Benefits for EMP-HI Board include: 

1.      Waiver of membership dues for the year you serve. 

2.      Professional contribution to the EM-field, which counts towards your Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) certification.

3.      Build closer working relationships with your fellow EMP-HI board members and others throughout the community. 

Job Expectations

All board members serve a one-year term which runs from January 1 – December 31.  It is expected that all board members participate in monthly meetings on the 2nd Tuesday, which alternate between the general membership meetings and board meetings.  

Officers

  • The President shall represent EMP-HI in a leadership capacity that best advances its interest and its membership. Among the President’s duties are providing support and direction to committees; representing EMP-HI at various functions and with other organizations; presiding at meetings of EMP-HI and its officers; authorizing expenditures within budget appropriations approved by the Board of Directors; and performing such other duties as required. 
  • Vice President – The Vice President shall be the first assistant to the President. The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacitation of the President and perform other duties as requested by the President. The Vice President shall be the chair of the elections committee, and shall hold annual elections, including special elections to replace any vacancies that exist in the board of directors.
  • Secretary -The Secretary shall maintain accurate records of the proceedings of all meetings of the membership, and of the Board of Directors. The secretary shall be the primary correspondent of the organization and be responsible for all incoming and outgoing electronic and physical mail of the organization, and perform other duties as required.
  • Treasurer -The Treasurer shall maintain accurate up-to-date records of all monies and assets belonging to EMP-HI. The Treasurer shall bill each member annually for organization dues and track the status of dues by each member.  The Treasurer shall ensure organizational invoices and reimbursements are paid in a timely manner.

Directors:  Directors serve on the board along with Officers.  Each director will lead a different committee overseeing the responsibilities bulleted below.

  • Director for Membership
    •  Welcome packet to new members (organizational documents, by-laws, guidelines)
    •  Monitor IAEM new members for outreach
    • Coordinate with secretary to maintain roster
    • Student membership & targeted outreach to colleges
    • Organizational outreach (NGOs, private sector, business continuity)
    • Facilitating networking, organizing icebreakers, social events
  • Director for Education
    • Send out a survey to solicit members’ input on education topics
    • Coordinating speakers for member meetings
      • Collect presentation slides for sharing
      • Sending thank you notes
      • Printing certificates
    • Coordinating member meeting logistics
      • Securing meeting venue
      • Sending calendar invites
      • Arranging for pupus
  • Director for Professional Development (Ideally this person is an IAEM member)
    • Resources update
    • Training opportunities
    • Collection of job opportunities
    • IAEM CEM and AEM workshops/ coaching
    • IAEM updates and opportunities
    • Internship opportunities
  • Director for Communications
    • Website Maintenance
      • Curate Members only section
      • Post job opportunities and training resources
      • Manage EMPHI online store
    • Publications (newsletter, brochure)
    • Manage social media (Facebook & any new platforms)
    • Facilitate virtual participation in meetings/events

Mahalo,

2025 EMP-HI Board of Officers and Directors

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Website:https://emphi.org/Email: empofhawaii@gmail.com

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Call to Action In support of Hawaii Public Radio

Note: The views expressed here are my own and do not reflect the official position or endorsement of the Emergency Management Professionals of Hawai‘i (EMP-HI).

Full disclosure – I sit on the Community Advisory Board for Hawai‘i Public Radio, and the message below was originally provided for CAB and Board members. However, I wanted to share it more broadly with others who are equally concerned about the proposed cuts to both HPR and PBS—two of our most independent and necessary news sources.

Their importance has been evident in numerous events—for instance, COVID, the lava eruptions on the Big Island, and most recently, the Maui wildfire. To impede these institutions is to increase the possibility of public harm if and when the next disaster impacts our ‘āina.

I ask that you please support Meredith and the staff at HPR in their advocacy. And if anyone has a line to any of the CODEL (Congressional Delegation), please emphasize the public good and essential service HPR provides.

Mahalo,
James

//From Meredith Artley, CEO Hawai’i Public Radio//

The Risk to Public Media Has Never Been Greater

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to claw back previously approved funding for public media.

Next, it goes to the Senate. 
 
If this rescission proposal passes the Senate before their deadline of July 18, federal funding for public media will be eliminated. Many stations across the country that serve communities with trusted local news, vital emergency information, music, culture, and community connection — and provide local jobs — will be diminished or entirely decimated. 
 
At Hawaiʻi Public Radio, it would mean a loss of at least $525,000. That figure could climb higher by hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional costs to support diminished services across the network. This is money we currently use to help fund local programming and infrastructure, and further our mission to serve the people of Hawaiʻi. 

You are invited to join us for a town hall conversation on Wednesday, June 18 at 12:30 p.m. HST, where we will share updates, next steps and welcome thoughts and questions.  
Join Us for Our Town Hall on June 18
Now is the time to use your voice and show your support. 

Here are three steps you can take to protect public media:

Write or call our senators and ask them to urge their fellow lawmakers to stand up for public media by voting down this rescission package.

And, if you are one of the many fans and supporters of HPR not in Hawaiʻi, you can use this simple form from Protect My Public Media to get the message to elected officials in your state.

Share this message with your family, friends and networks to encourage them to use their voice. If you are on social media, we’ve made it easy for you to show your support with our outreach kit. Donate to HPR. 

We are a community backed public service that is able to serve Hawaiʻi because of the support we receive from the people we do this essential work for. Attempts to defund public media have happened in the past. 

But none have gotten this far.  

This was a very close vote in the House — 214 to 212. As this rescission package moves to the Senate, there’s still a fighting chance to protect HPR and all public media. 

At HPR, we have been humbled and wowed by the outpouring of so many forms of support and encouragement: emails, calls, donations and spreading the word to family and friends. 
 
Mahalo to our supporters and fans for all of the inspiration that readies us for the continued battle ahead, and for the continued fight against misinformation and polarization. 

Now is the time to stand with Hawaiʻi Public Radio — and all of public media — and show your support for the essential work that informs, inspires and connects communities everywhere.