It was great seeing familiar and new faces at the June LAI meeting!  There’s so much going on, so here’s some important chapter news.

Save the Date – Thurs, Sept 8 Fall Meeting (in person only)

Our next meeting on Thurs, Sept 8 will feature Mayor Derek Kawakami and our own LAI members, Mike Dahilig (Managing Director) and  Ka`āina Hull (Planning Director) who will share their keys to success on how Kauai has been able to “deregulate regulation”.  Even if you do not do business or have ties to Kauai, this is a great lesson for all of us.  Join the “Tik Tok Mayor” to see what makes Kauai tick!

On a related note, our sincere apologies for the poor sound and audio quality of the last dual (in-person and virtual) meeting.  We experienced sound delays and echoes which were caused by the input lag into the computer networks.  Technical set up is also expensive.

Going forward, we will be meeting only in-person only, OR virtually if circumstances warrant, but not both.

As an accommodation to our Neighbor Island members, our Executive Committee would like to offer a one-time travel reimbursement of $150 to attend either the Sept or December meeting on Oahu. Contact LeeAnn Silva (mahina96822@gmail.com) for reimbursement.

Call for Executive Committee Leadership Volunteers/Nominations

The health and vitality of our Aloha Chapter and programs has been due to a great Executive Committee!   Executive Committee – Aloha Hawaii Chapter of Lambda Alpha International (laialoha.org)  We are soliciting volunteers/nominations to serve on our E.C for the following positions, where tenure/progression are not major factors:

• Secretary/Communications
• Historian/Scribe

If you are interested, please submit your name to any of us on the Executive Committee.

New Member Nominations (2023)

We are always amazed at the caliber of new members that we are able to attract.  If you know of anyone who would be a great candidate for membership, please forward their names and application form to Cal Chipchase, our Membership Chair (cchipchase@cades.com) by Sept. 1. The membership application is available here and members must meet the following criteria:

• Have achieved professional distinction
• Minimum of ten years of work experience in field
• Made an outstanding contribution to the lives in the community through public service.

Land Economics Week – Los Angeles (Oct 13-15)

A great benefit of your membership in LAI is our national conference, Land Economics Week (LEW).  This Fall, it will be held in LA on Oct 13-15 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.  It will feature some excellent speakers and tours including Hollywood Studio Tours, SO-FI Stadium, dinner at a private West Hollywood home, LA Harbour tour, etc.  Please join me!  A link to the upcoming LEW is attached below.
LEW Program | Lambda Alpha International (lai.org)

Cheryl Soon – New Book Published on “Reflections in Stone and Bronze”

It’s always great when we hear of LAI members doing cool new things!  Our own Cheryl Soon gave a wonderful interview on HNN on her new book she just published which relates statues to placemaking and what they say about the history /values of the place and the community.
Here is a link to your segment on HI Now:
https://www.hinowdaily.com/2022/07/22/learn-about-history-behind-each-oahus-statues-cheryl-soons-new-book/

She will also have a book signing this week on Sat, August 6 at 2 PM at da Shop in Kaimuki.  Please join her if you can.

A hui hou, stay safe and see you next month on Thurs, Sept 8!

Susan Todani, President
onehulamommy@gmail.com