HAWAI‘I – The University of Hawai‘i Foundation has elected four new members to the Foundation board of trustees. Their terms began July 1, 2013.
Dr. Rosita Leong is a pathologist by training. She graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 1963 and served as chief of pathology at the Metropolitan Hospital in Manila until 1982. Since then, Dr. Leong has focused her efforts on a wide range of investment activities. Dr. Leong currently serves in a range of capacities, including director at the Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines; director and chief executive officer of Bunker Hill Developments, Inc., a real estate investment company; director at the Persis Corporation, a Hawai‘i-based, privately held, real estate investment company; and member of the advisory board for the Wo International Center at Punahou School. She is also a member of the board of governors, Pacific Asian Affairs Council and a member of the board of trustees for Variety School of Hawaii. Dr. Leong also previously served as a director of Asian Securitization and Infrastructure (PTE) Ltd.
Dr. Earl Miller is an aviation medical examiner who holds a locum tenens position with Aliron International, Inc. Here he is assigned to the Camp Pendleton, California, outpatient family practice clinic. Before retiring in 2010, Dr. Miller had been in private medical practice since 1985 serving the South Orange County area with a full spectrum of general, family, and occupational medical care. Dr. Miller is affiliated with the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, California State Society, and American Osteopathic Association. Dr. Miller also served as professor of physics at Santa Ana College for 16 years. Dr. Miller received his master of science in physics from the University of Hawai‘i and his Bachelor of Arts in Physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He received his Doctor of Osteopathy from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.
Jim Pappas is the former president and owner of Honsador Lumber Corporation. Honsador Lumber supplies building materials for residential and light commercial market segments in Hawai‘i. Prior to Honsador he served as the chief financial officer and later the executive vice president at Lewers & Cooke, Inc. Pappas is active in a range of professional organizations and has held leadership positions for groups including the Hawaii Developers Council, Financial Planning Institute, and Young Presidents’ Organization. He has served as an officer and director for local non-profit organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, president of Oahu Country Club and chairman of the Air Force Civilian Advisory Council.
William K. Richardson has been a general partner of HMS Hawaii Management since 1994. HMS Hawaii Management is the General Partner of HMS Investments, HMS Investments II, HMS Hawaii and HMS Hawaii III. Richardson is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and Duke University School of Law, and a former collegiate volleyball player and coach. Prior to founding HMS Hawaii Management, Richardson was a Hawai‘i attorney specializing in commercial law and finance. He also worked nine years in various sales and marketing capacities for Wang Laboratories. He is formerly the chairman of the board for Pacific DirectConnect, a WiFi integration company; Kona Bay Marine Resources, a marine biotech company; and Hawaii Biotech, a bio-therapeutic company. He has been on the boards of Wireless, HealthScape, and a board visitor to Digital Island. He was an active investor/mentor in Hoku Scientific, Firetide, and Hoana Medical. Richardson was the founding co-chair of University Connections, a founder and current president of HiBEAM, and has been a lecturer in Law and adjunct professor of Business at UH for 10 years. His community connections include serving as a trustee of the University of Hawai‘i Foundation, the board of the Trust for Public Lands, the Board of the National Kidney Foundation, the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawaii and current board member of the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship.
The new board chair is Ronald N.S. Ho, chairman of Ronald N. S. Ho & Associates, who rejoined the UH Foundation Board in 2009. He previously served on the UHF Board of Trustees from 1996 - 2001 and chaired the board from 1999 - 2000. Currently, in addition to his leadership role on the UHF Board of Trustees, Ho serves on the College of Engineering dean's council. Ronald Ho is a UH Mānoa graduate and earned his BS, 1967, and MS, 1968, both in electrical engineering.
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
