Courageous Political Leadership- Dr. William Keli’i Akina

M.H. McKee said, “Wisdom is knowing the right path to take. Integrity is taking it.” Dr. Keli’i Akina has exemplified what it means to courageously follow the path of his God-given calling. He has positively influenced the lives of many thousands through decades of stellar leadership. As CEO of one of Hawaii’s most influential organizations for reaching young people and building strong families, he has served on local and national trustee boards for more than thirty years acquiring high level trusteeship skills.

Dr. Akina highlights two specifics as he embarks on the next phase of his life, 1) Achievement – to ensure that the Hawaiian people thrive in the 21st Century and 2) Aloha – to show that Hawaii is the land of the Aloha Spirit where the content of one’s heart, not the color of one’s skin matters.

After obtaining his B.A. in History and Literature of Religions from Northwestern University, he completed his Masters and Ph.D. Degrees at the University of Hawai`i. Keli’i has taught nearly 50 college courses on Philosophy and Humanities at Hawai`i Pacific University and the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. As a philosopher and leadership expert, Keli’i teaches young people how to understand all cultures, and  become productive leaders in society. He has taught leadership classes to Hawaii’s finest high schoolers through Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders, which he founded with his wife Patty.