The Board of Directors of the University of Hawai‘i Federal Credit Union has approved the following slate of candidates.

Members may petition the Board of Directors to add a nominee by submitting a signed petition bearing the name of the nominee and the signatures of 1% of the membership (approximately 300 names) to the Nominating Committee. The nomination must also be accompanied by a signed certificate from the nominee stating that he/she is agreeable to the nomination and will serve if elected. Petitions must be received by the Nominating Committee c/o UHFCU, PO Box 22070, Honolulu HI 96823-2070 no later than February 12, 2019.

Voting

Voting (if necessary) will be held at the Annual Meeting on March 23, 2019, where ballots will be available. Absentee ballots will be available to members unable to attend. Notice of absentee ballot voting will be in the Spring edition of the Ka Lono Pu‘uku. The ballots will be counted by Election Tellers appointed by the Board of Directors. The results of the election will be announced at the Annual Meeting to be held on March 23, 2019.

Candidate Info

Thomas Pires

Thomas earned his BBA from UH and has been a UHFCU member for over 15 years. He is currently self-employed with the Brown & Brown Insurance Agency and previously worked at First Hawaiian Bank as a Vice President.

Candidate Statement

“With my financial/insurance background, I feel that I can make a significant contribution to this FCU.
I like being in the financial world, working with operating systems and people.”

Kenji Sumida*

Kenji earned his BBA and MBA from UH, served on the Hawaii Credit Union League (HCUL) committee on Governmental Affairs, and has served on the UHFCU Board since 1970. He retired as President of the East-West Center and previously worked as a Vice President at UH.

Candidate Statement

“I would like to use my 48 years of experience and training to continue to serve on our Board in providing financial management products and services to our member owners.”

Clifford Togo*

Clifford earned his BBA and MBA from UH, served as Chair of both the UHFCU Supervisory and Credit Committees, and has served on the UHFCU Board since 2013. He retired as Vice Chancellor for Admin Services with various UH System campuses.

Candidate Statement

“Aloha, I am seeking a position on the UHFCU Board of Directors to assist our members meet their financial needs. I have been actively involved with the UHFCU for most of my 35 years while employed at the UH in fiscal/administrative positions. As a current UHFCU Board member and former Chair of both the Supervisory and Credit Committee, I feel that I have the experience and knowledge of the credit union philosophy to contribute to its continued success. It would be an honor and a privilege to serve you as a Board member for the UHFCU. Mahalo, Clifford Togo.”

Edward Yuen*

Ed earned his BA and MA from UH and his J.D. from Hastings College of Law. He has served on the UHFCU Board since 1989 – serving as Chairman from 1992-1997 and from 2010 to present. He currently serves as an Arbitrator.

Candidate Statement

“UHFCU is one of the few large credit unions in the State which has not expanded its field of membership to include the community at large. We remain focused on serving the University of Hawaii community with state-of-the-art technology, competitive interest rates, low fees and top-notch service. Based on feedback from members, we are succeeding in all these areas. Our success is the result of a strong management team guided and supported by an experienced board. I urge you to vote for the slate of incumbents to continue our history of financial soundness, quality service and steady growth.”

David Ching*

David earned his BA from UC Irvine and his MA from CSU-Long Beach, worked with the HCUL in 2008-2009, and served on the UHFCU Supervisory Committee from 2011-2018 – serving as Chair from 2014-2018. He is currently a lecturer for the Economics Department at UH.

Candidate Statement

“I am currently a lecturer at the UHM Department of Economics and currently serve as an interim board member at UHFCU. Prior to this I have volunteered as a supervisory committee member at UHFCU, having serving as chairperson for the past few years. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve along with my current board and past committee members, to strengthen the UHFCU and the CU movement.”