About Us
VAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rick Castberg is a retired professor of political science at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, where he was a faculty member for 34 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University, and has served as a Fulbright Specialist Lecturer at Nagoya and Nanzan Universities in Nagoya, Japan. He has written and published extensively on criminal justice, and co-authored the non-fiction book Murder in Paradise (2003). He received a UH Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Teaching for 2000-2001, and has been active on a number of boards and advisory committees. He was Commodore of the Hilo Yacht Club in 2004. Rick currently serves as an MIS Specialist/Evaluator for the Third Circuit Court and the Third Circuit Juvenile Drug Court Planning Teams, as well as on the Prosecuting Attorney’s "Youth Builders" initiative, and was recently appointed to the Disciplinary Board of the State Supreme Court. He was elected to VAC's board in 2005. He currently serves as Board Secretary, is chair of the Nominating Committee, and serves on the Executive/Personnel Committee.

Darla DeVille is President and Chief Professional Officer for the Hawai'i Island United Way. She holds a dual Master's Degree in Education Administration and Curriculum & Development from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Her undergraduate degree is in the field of education, and she has taught middle school social studies, art, and music. In the early 1990s Darla served as principal of Star of the Sea School on O'ahu, the first year-round school in the state. Through the success of the program she became a national and international consultant in the field. She has spent most of her career as a positive change agent, opening two innovative schools and promoting alternative work calendars and programs. Darla has written progressive curriculum, taught in the teacher education programs at University at Hawai'i at Manoa and Sierra Nevada College, and launched two non-profit organizations. She was elected to VAC's board in 2006 and currently serves on the Nominating Committees.

Lisa Duwall attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and then worked in Graphic design and advertising before returning to school to study physical and cultural geography and landscape architecture at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Illinois. She lived and worked in Tucson, Arizona before moving to Hawai'i in 2000, where she is a landscape architect for Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Her job balances accommodating visitors in well-functioning facilities, resource protection, and future planning. Lisa was elected to VAC's board in 2004, is the immediate past Vice President, and currently serves chairs the Building Committee.

Cynee Gillette-Wenner was born and raised on O'ahu. She lived in New York, Maui, The Monterey Peninsula, and Guam, and has been in Volcano since July 1989. Cynee had an extensive career in retailing and merchandising as well as importing and selling traditional Japanese clothing while in Guam. Her studies of arts and crafts began in her early school years and--through involvement with museums, galleries, and craft guilds--she has assembled an extensive arts and crafts collection of her own. Since 1998 she has been a member of the Volcano Village Artist Hui Studio Tour, selling one of-a-kind wearable pieces made from her extensive ethnic textile collection. Cynee has been a long-time supporter of Volcano Art Center and previously served on the board for 3 terms. She was re-elected in 2008 and serves as chair of the Gallery Committee and is also on the Development/Membership/Community Relations Committee.

Don Hasenyager and his wife, an artist, have lived in Hawai'i for 47 years and have been part-time residents of Volcano since 1984. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. He is retired from the Federal Civil Service in the Department of Defense, where he supervised compensation and foreign labor-management programs. Prior to coming to Hawai'i, Don worked in Albuquerque, Washington DC, Germany, and France. He served on the Volcano Art Center Board of Directors from 1991-2000, with an emphasis on administration, fiscal, and personnel matters. He was re-elected to VAC's board in 2002, served as Treasurer from 2002-2006, and currently serves on the Finance, Building, and Development/Membership/Community Relations Committees.

Guy Kaulukukui is currently the Director of the Hawai'i Island Food Self Reliance Project at the Kohala Center. The goal of the project is to increase both the consumption and production of local food. Prior to joining the Kohala Center, he was a visiting assistant professor of economics at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo from 2007-2009, and served as senior advisor to Honolulu City Councilmember Todd K. Apo from 2005-2007. Guy worked at Bishop Museum in Honolulu from 1997-2004 where he chaired its education department and managed its collections and information resources programs before being appointed Vice-President of Cultural Studies. Before joining the Bishop Museum, he was a high school economics instructor at Kamehameha Schools. Guy was born and raised on O'ahu, but his 'ohana ties to Hawai'i Island stretch back for generations. His father was born and raised in Hilo. His grandparents and all preceding generations of his family were from Kohala. Guy is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawai'i (B.A., Economics), Hawai'i Pacific University (M.B.A.), and University of Kansas (Ph.D., Economics Education). He serves on the board of directors of Ho'okako'o Corporation, which serves as the local school board for three public charter schools (Waimea Middle School, Kualapu'u School on Moloka'i, and Kamaile Academy in Honolulu). He is also on the board of the Kanu O Ka 'Aina Learning 'Ohana in Waimea. He was elected to VAC's board in 2009, and has been appointed to serve on the Development/Membership/Community Relations Committee.

Harriet Klark moved to Volcano in 2005 after being a part-time resident since 2000. She taught middle school for 5 years at an inner city school and a juvenile hall detention facility in Colorado before moving to Honolulu, where she was involved in real estate development, commercial leasing, sales, and management. She has also been involved in real estate developments on Moloka'i and Kaua'i. For the last 15 years, before her recent retirement, she operated as sole proprietor of Klark Properties. Harriet has traveled extensively, served on the Bishop Museum Council, and worked as a political campaign volunteer. She was elected to VAC's board in 2005. She is currently President, co-chairs the Love the Arts Committee, and serves on the Executive/Personnel and Nominating Committees.

Harold Ohata was born and raised in Paia, Maui. He received a B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University. While attending New York University’s Graduate School of Business, where he was awarded an M.B.A., he worked for Radio Free Europe as staff accountant. He was staff accountant at Baker & Gillette, CPAs (now part of Price Waterhouse Coopers), before founding his own CPA firm of Ohata Chun Yuen, LLP on O'ahu. Harold is an active member of Rotary, previously on the board of the Aloha Council-Boy Scouts of America, and a director emeritus of the YMCA of Honolulu, plus he served on the board of the Waikiki Aquarium before retiring and moving to the Big Island. He was appointed to the VAC board in 2005. As Treasurer, he serves on the Finance Committee and also on the Executive/Personnel Committee.

Natalie Pfeifer is currently Owner/Personal Chef for Mauka to Makai Enterprises Catering and Baking Co. which services Maui and Hawai'i islands, where she maintains residences although she spends most of her time in Volcano. Prior to establishing Mauka to Makai, she was Owner/Personal Chef for Pies and Dahls from 2000-2003 in Fairfield, Iowa and Catering & Baking Co. from 2003-2006 in Queen Creek, Arizona. She also did first season marketing, product development, and café and retail store planning and development for Queen Creek Olive Mill. Prior to relocating to the mainland in 1999, Natalie was the Gallery Director for the Volcano Art Center from 1992-1999. She currently holds several volunteer positions at Hospice of Hawai'i, Art Maui 32nd Annual Exhibition, Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and Cooper Center. She was also a past volunteer for Hospice of Iowa and State of Hawai'i Judiciary: Children’s Justice Center in Maui from 2007-2009. Natalie was born in Honolulu and is a graduate of Punahou School, Mauna Olu College (A.A.), Washington State University (Liberal Arts), University of Oregon and State Foundation on Culture & the Arts (Certificate in Interpretive Research for Museums and Public Places), University of Hawai'i at Hilo (Accounting & Marketing), and State of Hawai'i Judiciary (Working with Case Records CJC). She was elected to VAC's board in 2009.

Linda Pratt has resided in Volcano since 1984 and is a botanist for the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP). Prior to her current position, she worked for the Research Division of HVNP and as a Research Associate with the Cooperative Parks Studies Unit of the University of Hawai'i Botany Department. She has held positions with The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i, the Hawai'i Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. Her education was at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and the University of Miami. She has served on the board of directors of the Volcano School of Arts and Sciences, as a member and chairperson of the Natural Area Reserves Commission, and as a member of the Hawai'i and Pacific Islands Endangered Plant Species Recovery Coordinating Committee. She appreciates art, enjoys living in a community so rich with talented artists/craftspeople, and enjoys collecting pieces by local artists--favoring landscapes and wildlife art. She was elected to VAC's board in 2007. She is currently Vice-President and serves on the Development/Membership/Community Relations and the Executive/Personnel Committees.

Jay Slivkoff, R.G. is currently employed with the University of Hawai'i at Hilo's Physics and Astronomy Department as an Astronomy Technician for the past 5 years. His previous experience includes over 20 years as a geologist/geoscientist in scientific investigations and implementation of project goals, such as project planning in coordination with governmental agencies, final technical reporting and presentations, and project and site management of remote and overseas projects. He is experienced in many types of construction, both new and upgrade, as well as in maintenance of mechanical equipment. Prior to being employed by UH-Hilo, Jay held several positions and titles, including with BHP Engineering dba Environmental Technologies International (Honolulu, 1991-1996) and Metcalf & Eddy (Honolulu, 1996), and as Project Manager/Brewer Environmental Services USACE Contracts (Honolulu, 1996-2000) and Project Manager/Weston Solutions, Inc. AFCEE Contracts (Honolulu, 2000-2004). From 1969-1985 he worked for various employers as a geologist in Alaska, including the U.S.G.S., and has conducted many field studies. Jay graduated from University of Alaska at Fairbanks with a B.A. in Geology with a Minor in Biology, and he did Graduate Studies in Mineral Economics, Hydrogeology as well as Graduate Studies in Volcanology, Hydrogeology at and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. In 1995 he was registered as Geologist No. 6433 by the State of California and in 2006 he was First-Aid/CPR certified. He was elected to VAC's board in 2009

William E. Smith is a Per Diem Judge for the District Court of the Third Circuit. He holds a B.Ed degree from the University of Hawai'i and a J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law at University of Hawai'i at Manoa. He has also served as Deputy County Clerk (2005-2007) and a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney (1992-2005) for the County of Hawai'i. Other legal experience includes a position with the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i, Legal Specialist for the Hawai'i State Teacher's Association, as well as several Hawai'i law offices. He has served as Chairperson for the Mayor’s Commission on Aids, Board President for the Hawai'i Council on Legal Education for Youth, Board member of the Life Foundation of Hawai'i, and is a member of the Volcano Community Association. He was elected to VAC's board in 2007. He serves on the Building/Facilities, Development/Membership/Community Relations, and Gallery Support Committees.

Jim Wilson is a retired publisher for the Hawai'i Tribune-Herald and has lived in Hawai'i since 1967. He and his wife own a bed and breakfast in Volcano, where they have resided since 1994. Jim served on VAC's board from 1987-1996, including several years as President, and rejoined the board in 2000. Jim is also active with the Big Island Substance Abuse Center, Pacific Tsunami Museum, Rotary Club of South Hilo, and Hospice of Hilo. He served as VAC's Board Secretary until his resignation in December 2007. He was re-elected to VAC's board in 2008, is the immediate past Board President, and serves on the Building/Facilities and Nominating Committees..

Kathy M. Zenobi became a semi-retired Volcano resident in 2002. She currently volunteers at the Ka'u Hospital's long-term care section as a "visitor" to the residents and to accompany them on daytime outings. Prior to moving to Hawai'i she was long-time resident and business owner in Sonoma County, California. Besides running her business, Kathy was active in the A.C.R. (a music club in the Sonoma area). She was also a member and officer of Sebastopol Downtown Association and the Philanthropic Educational Organization, and used her business suite as a gallery for local artists and hosted receptions for them. She was elected to VAC's board in 2009.