Mark de Reus, Board Co-Chair
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– The Hawaii Meth Project announced its 2014 Board of Directors, comprised of influential business and community leaders who will help set the organization’s strategic goals, approve its annual budget, and advance its mission.
The Hawaii Meth Project is a large-scale prevention program aimed at reducing meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach. Central to the integrated, research-based campaign is Hawaii Meth Project’s website, a definitive source for information about meth prevention. The Hawaii Meth Project is also supported by hard-hitting social media initiatives, as well as print, online, television, and radio campaigns that communicate the risks of meth use.
Michael Spalding, Board Secretary
The 2014 Hawaii Meth Project Board of Directors includes Lori Abe, vice president of communications & marketing for The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Powell W. Berger, entrepreneur, public relations professional and former lobbyist; Pearl Imada Iboshi, director of the institutional research and analysis office for the University of Hawaii system; State Rep. Chris Lee (D-Kailua, Waimanalo), chair of the committee on energy and environmental protection; and John Strandberg, director of audience development for Pacific Business News.
Stephen J. Pasierb, Board Member
The new board members join current members Mark de Reus, principal of de Reus Architects and founding Hawaii Meth Project board chairman; Michael Spalding, president of Michael Spalding Realty, and Stephen J. Pasierb, president and CEO of Partnership at Drugfree.org. In the 2014 term, Mark de Reus and John Strandberg will serve as co-chairs of the board, Lori Abe will serve as treasurer, and Michael Spalding will serve as secretary.
“We are proud to introduce our exceptional 2014 board,” said Hawaii Meth Project’s executive director, David Earles. “Our board members are true experts in their fields, representing various industries and specialties. Most of all, they share a commitment to Hawaii Meth Project’s cause – to influence people, especially our youth, to abstain from methamphetamine. We are so honored to be able to work collaboratively with this group to enhance our organization’s initiatives.”
In 2014, the Hawaii Meth Project will focus on reaching more of its current and potential donors, increasing business community awareness about the organization, and enhancing the parent/child conversation about meth prevention and awareness.
The Hawaii Meth Project also has an advisory council, consisting of local leaders who assist and guide the organization. As prominent members of the community, advisory council members play a critical role in communicating the goals and activities of the Hawaii Meth Project, raising awareness of the scope and scale of the meth problem in Hawaii, and ensuring sufficient resources are dedicated to addressing the issue. For a full list of Hawaii Meth Project’s advisory council, visit the organization’s leadership page.
Following is more information on the new Hawaii Meth Project board members:
Lori Abe, Board Treasurer
Lori Abe
Lori Abe is a communications and public relations professional with more than 25 years of experience with companies and non-profit organizations in Hawaii and on the mainland. Lori is currently vice president of communications & marketing for The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.
Prior to joining the Chamber, she was a senior vice president with McNeil Wilson Communications, the public relations division of Anthology Marketing Group, where her account responsibilities included the Hawaii Meth Project. Lori’s additional non-profit experience includes senior management positions with the Hawaii Community Foundation and the University of Hawaii Foundation.
Lori serves on the board of directors for After-School All-Stars Hawaii, a non-profit providing free after-school enrichment programs for at-risk middle school students. She also volunteers as a communications and marketing consultant to the Kukui Children’s Foundation, founded to create a center for abused, vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families.
Powell W. Berger, Board Member
Powell W. Berger
Powell Berger’s career began in the U.S. Senate, where she worked for then majority leader Senator Howard Baker. She subsequently went on to hold communications and lobbying posts with prominent trade groups in Washington, D.C.
Powell was a former senior vice president at The Hawthorn Group, a leading strategic communications and crisis management firm in Washington, D.C., then managing director of the Washington office of advertising and communications firm, R&R Partners, headquartered in Las Vegas.
In 2003, after more than twenty years in politics and public affairs, Powell and her family relocated to Kailua. There she founded Two Wahines on the Beach, a boutique property management company specializing in the luxury traveler.
Powell also works as a freelance writer and consultant, working with clients locally and around the world. She is an avid traveler and is mom of three.
Pearl Imada Iboshi, Board Member
Pearl Imada Iboshi
Pearl Iboshi is the director of the institutional research and analysis office for the University of Hawaii system. In this capacity, she oversees the university’s effort to promote consistent data collection across the 10-campus system, is an active member of the Hawaii Graduation Initiative to improve graduation rates at all campuses, and is part of the effort to promote data-driven decision making.
She previously served as the acting director for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the state economist in the Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism.
Pearl received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Hawaii, her master’s degree in economics from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, and her bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College in Iowa. She is a graduate of Hilo High School.
State Rep. Chris Lee, Board Member
State Rep. Chris Lee
Born and raised in Kailua, Rep. Chris Lee is a graduate of Iolani School and Oregon State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science.
With a commitment to improving Hawaii’s communities, Chris ran a successful campaign and was first elected to the Hawaii State Legislature in 2008 representing Kailua and Waimanalo in the House of Representatives.
He is currently the Chair of the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection (EEP). He also serves on the Consumer Protection and Commerce (CPC), Judiciary (JUD), Ocean, Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs (OMH), and Water and Land (WAL) committees.
Chris also recently joined other young Hawaii lawmakers to launch a bipartisan “Future Caucus” to encourage open government and encourage young people to get involved in the voting and legislative process.
John Strandberg, Board Co-Chair
John Strandberg
John is currently the director of audience development for Pacific Business News. He has worked as a commercial real estate agent for Markus & Associates and as the general sales manager for Saturn of Honolulu.
John’s passion in life is people. He is a deeply connected individual who believes in giving back to his community by staying active in causes that are important to him. He is currently on the board of the Arthritis Foundation of Hawaii and helps run the Hawaii Bone Marrow Registry Annual Golf Tournament. He is a previous board member of MADD Hawaii.
About the Hawaii Meth Project
The Hawaii Meth Project is a nonprofit organization that implements large-scale, research-based campaigns and community action programs to reduce methamphetamine use in the state. Central to its integrated campaigns is MethProject.org—a definitive source for information about meth for teens. The Hawaii Meth Project is affiliated with The Partnership at Drugfree.org, a national nonprofit organization working to help families solve the problem of teen substance abuse. For more information, visit HawaiiMethProject.org.