Jay April

President and CEO

Jay April has served as Interim President/ CEO of Akaku since January 2007, and has previously served on Akaku’s Board of Directors from 2001 to October 2006. Mr. April is a television producer, director, video journalist and artist whose work has been featured on many national networks and won awards from film festivals worldwide. Credits include special correspondent to CNN’s Environmental Unit, the TODAY Show on NBC and the much acclaimed PBS series, The 90s. He was responsible for the successful start up of E! Entertainment Television as founding producer, and he has produced, directed, written and shot hundreds of television segments and commercial spots in a variety of genres. His documentaries about ecology and American culture have been called, “prolific and passionate” by The Wall Street Journal, “poignant” by the LA Weekly, and “provocative” by The Los Angeles Times.

In recent years, Mr. April has specialized in documentaries about Hawaiian culture, and he has been exploring the parameters of emerging digital video tools to make ground-breaking new media. He is currently developing strategic partnerships with talented video and internet era veterans to launch a first wave artist-in-residence television station to debut on the worldwide web.

Mr. April is an experienced national cable television consultant with a specialty in telecommunications policy, cable regulation and community programming. Clients have included the State of Connecticut, the City of Los Angeles, municipalities, non-profits, universities, and cable television companies. He brings eight years of managerial and administrative experience in PEG access; and he is one of the pioneers of the PEG access concept in the United States and a founding member of the Alliance for Community Media.

Awards include Hawaii International Film Festival (1999) San Francisco International Film Festival (1992, 1993), Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (1993), American Film Institute National Video Festival (1980, 1991), Sony Visions of US (1993), Jackson Hole International Wildlife Film Festival (1993), International Wildlife Film Festival (1992, 2001), Advertising Club of New York City (1997) and a National Cable Ace Nomination (1989).

April has taught courses in video for social change at Yale University. He holds a B.A. in English and Education with a minor in Theatre Arts from Boston College. He also took graduate courses in Television Production at University of Connecticut.

Linda Puppolo

Administrative Services Director

Chivo Ching-Johnson

Government Services Director

Chivo joined Akaku as Productions Specialist in August 2008, bringing to the team extensive experience in radio and video media, but it is not his first time with the organization. More than a dozen years ago, he helped build Akaku from the ground up by piloting government access television for Maui County.

His career in multimedia began more than 15 years ago as a radio newscaster. After years of writing radio copy, he learned that it translated well into scripting and storyboarding, leading his career from voice only to combined imagery of video production. Video credits include: Cameraman for E! Entertainment, CNN, NBC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, Extreme Sports, Mercedes Championship in Kapalua, Maui, Inside Edition, and Entertainment Tonight. Produced and Co-produced several documentary films.

On Maui, Chivo ran his own video production business, specializing in event videography that focused on weddings, conventions, network news, documentary films, voice-overs, and narration. He has produced more than 1,500 weddings in the past 6 years and is a creative editor proficient in digital post production.

Chivo is schooled in telecommunications and has taken numerous classes and seminars in digital production and editing. He has also completed four separate specialty tracks offered by University of Southern California and The Hawaii Film Initiative.

Emily Sullivan

Productions Manager

Emily began her career in the Production Field at a very early age. Raised on a Christmas Tree Farm in Southern Alabama she learned the finer parts of working hard, producing a quality product and of course PR. The whole family dressed as Santa’s Elves during Christmas as part of bringing the “Christmas Spirit” alive. After graduating from high school she went in search of “Higher Education” and found it at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College. After completing 3 tours with the “Greatest Show on Earth” Emily decided to spend some time relaxing. What better place to do that than a ski resort. Emily spent the next 2 ski seasons teaching disabled patrons how to ski at the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Colorado. By far one of her favorite jobs to date. When she wasn’t skiing she went to school at Colorado State University graduating magna cum laud with a double major in Communications and Equine Science. Leaving her love of the outdoors behind Emily moved all the way to Red Sox country and made Boston, MA her home. She spent the next 5 years honing her skills as a Producer on commercials, Assistant Director on films and was part of Local 481 for Set Dressing and Props.

The cold winters and the constant quest for adventure landed Emily and her sister in Maui in June of 2007. She was lucky enough to find a place to work where clowns are welcomed and humor is encouraged.

Emily is excited to be a part of the Staff at Akaku. She feels the core mission of Akaku is meaningful and empowering for Maui Nui. “There is no place in world like Maui, and especially Akaku. I hope the community of Maui realizes how lucky they are to have a voice in the media like they have with Akaku.”

Darren Corrao

Productions Specialist

James Herrington

Post-Production Supervisor

James enjoys well-writen screenplays and likes to eat salads.

Na`ilima Kana

Production Specialist

ʻO Nāʻilima Kana koʻu inoa a ʻo Keʻanae, Maui koʻu ʻāina kulāiwi. ʻO wau ka hiapo o ʻekolu kaikaina a ʻelua kaikuahine. Ua hele wau i ke Kula Kaiapuni o Maui no he ʻumi kūmākahi mau makahiki akā ua puka wau mai ke kula kiʻekiʻe o Kamehameha Maui i ka makahiki 2007 a ke hele nei wau i ke kula nui o MCC [maui community college].

I ka mahina o Kēkēmapa 2008, e hānau ʻana kuʻu ipo ʻo Risa Yarborough i ko māua pēpē mua!

Ua hoʻomaka wau i koʻu hana ma Akakū Maui Community Television i ka mahina o Mei, 2008. I koʻu hele ʻana i Kamehameha aia wau i ka polokalamu pāpaho i kapa ia Nā Koa Media na Jay Paa. Ma mua o kēia ua kōkua hana wau i Nagamine Photo Studio Inc. Haʻaheo wau e lilo i kanaka Hawaiʻi a aloha wau i nā hana a me nā ʻike Hawaiʻi o ko kākou mau kūpuna. I kēia mua aku, mamake wau i kekahi keʻena no ka paʻi kiʻi, paʻi wikiō, a hana graphic design me nā ʻike Hawaiʻi.

My name is Nāʻilima Kana and Keʻanae, Maui is my homeland. I am the oldest of my 3 younger brothers and 2 younger sisters. I attended Kula Kaiapuni o Maui (a Hawaiian Language Immersion Program) for 11 years but graduated from Kamehameha Maui in 2007 and am now attending MCC (Maui Community College).

In September 2008, my girlfriend Risa Yarborough will be giving birth to our first child!

I started working at Akakū Maui Community Television in May, 2008. While attending Kamehameha I was in their Media Program called Nā Koa Media, which was named by my teacher Jay Paa. Before this, I interned at Nagamine Photo Studio Inc. I am proud to be Hawaiian and I love the knowledge and insight of Hawaiian Culture that our ancestors has passed down. In the future I hope to own a studio for Photography, Video Production, and Graphic Design specializing in Hawaiian Culture.

Kamerya Puaolele Maraina Hanohano

Production Specialist

Kamerya Puaolele Maraina Hanohano is a tongue twister for most people, even just my first name, but for an easier way out people just call me Kami. I am proud to say that I am from the island of Oahu in a small but beautiful town called Laie. I come from a big group of children; five brothers and one sister with me as the second oldest. I am so very happily married to my Hawaiian man Peter Kauhola Hanohano III and together we have two gorgeous children; my pretty little girl Aotea Puanani Moanamamao Hanohano and our adorable son Peter Kauhola Hanohano IV. I am very fortunate to have the nationalities of Maori and Samoan, two beautiful and firm cultures that have strong family morals and values. I love to play all kind of sports, go on dates with my husband, read and write, bake and cook, along with playing with my kids and learning more about everything and anything.

I am an Alumni of Kahuku High School class of 2004. I had attended college at the Brigham Young University of Hawaii for three years but soon decided to take a step off of Oahu and head on down here to Maui.

Maui has been my new home for a few months now and it has been a memorable few months of my life. Here on Maui, I have come to enjoy the same aloha spirit that I was accustomed to back on Oahu. I am the newest addition to the Akaku family and I find it enjoyable to be around a creative and hardworking environment.

Pete Sullivan

Programming Director

Pete joined the Akaku team in 2002 after retiring from Verizon Advanced Data in Washington DC. During his 31 years with Verizon, he enjoyed a variety of career opportunities, from climbing telephone poles in sub-zero conditions to participating in research projects in Verizon’s test and acceptance laboratories. He also worked with scientists from NSA, DIA, NASA and NRL while supporting field trials of new networking technologies. He was a nationally ranked motorcycle racer in the early 80’s, and his subsequent passion for windsurfing brought him to Maui in 1987 for the first of many annual return trips. He continues to compete in various windsurfing events on Maui, while also finding time to renovate a classic Polynesian pole house in Kula.

Andrea Speedie

Programmer, Channel 53

Shawn Michael

Programmer, Channel 52

Tia Christiansen

Media Access Technician, Receptionist

Andi Blank

Media Access Technician, Receptionist

Gloria Salamone

Media Access Technician, Receptionist

Sara Tekula

Education Director

Sara joined the staff at Akaku in November 2007. As Education Director, Sara focuses on empowering the Maui Nui community through access to Akakuʻs training programs and workshops. She also conducts community producer mentorships, supervises the Akaku Media Lab, puts together media literacy camps for younger students, coordinates Akakuʻs volunteer program, and works with the Akaku Productions team occasionally.

Sara has several yearsʻ experience in non-profit education and outreach and public relations, as well as an extensive background in television, documentary, and music video production. Since 1999, she has served as producer for such series as Vh1ʻs “Behind the Music”, CBSʻs “Survivor!”, and other shows for the A&E Channel, the MTV Networks family of companies, Atlantic Records, and international advertising agencies. She was also the series field director for Vh1ʻs “Ultimate Albums” series. She is most proud of the interview segments she produced with New York City firemen following 9/11. She can direct, shoot, and edit.

In addition to occasionally producing and directing on independent productions, Sara also plays five musical instruments (including her voice), enjoys yoga, traveling, writing, and outdoor activities like hiking and swimming. She also runs a local sustainability company with her husband. In 1997, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Southern California. She resides in Olinda.

Matthew Robinson

Education Coordinator

Matthew Robinson is the Education Coordinator at Akaku: Maui Community Television. He teaches the Final Cut Pro editing certification course, and the Field Camera certification course. He also manages the Akaku Media Lab, where community members can come to edit their public access TV projects free of charge.

Matthew began his involvement with the media world at the age of ten. Receiving a camcorder on his tenth birthday, he quickly realized his passion for media arts. In 1996, after studying Media Communications outside of Washington, D.C., he left college early to concentrate full-time on growing an audio production company in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. During his five year tenure with Liquid Productions, Matthew gained extensive knowledge in audio engineering and audio editing. He later applied this knowledge to video engineering and video editing.

In 2002, he moved to New York City to attend and work at the New York Film Academy and further expand his knowledge in the arts and entertainment field. After three years in New York City working at the New York Film Academy and working on countless film and editing projects, he returned to D.C. to work for the U.S. Treasury Department. He then decided to move closer to his family in Maui, Hawaii to continue his entrepreneurial pursuits in business, media production, and media education.

Cynthia Thomet

Director of Communications

Cynthia Thomet, Communications Director at Akaku, lends support to the Akaku team to facilitate the organization’s mission to empower the community’s voice through access to broadcast media. As such, her roles include community outreach, fundraising and development, public relations and supporting the executive and administrative offices in its internal and external communications initiatives.

Prior to arriving on Maui at the beginning of 2007, Cynthia lived in Washington D.C. where she developed and implemented communications strategies for nonprofits. From legislators and lobbyists, to lawyers and death row inmates, Cynthia cut her teeth working elbow to elbow with a variety of people to help garner media attention for numerous causes. In the process, she has landed hundreds of media mentions in local and national outlets, as well as arranged for interviews on Oprah, Larry King Live and Anderson Cooper 360Ëš. She is honored to have worked with some of the country’s most talented and creative individuals, including a Nobel laureate.

In her life on Maui, Cynthia looks forward to working with a new group of talented individuals and also to extending her media experience to create content for television and radio.

Ka`eo Kepani

Web Administrator / Communications Associate

Ben Yashon

Radio Director

An accomplished musician and recording artist with three albums under his belt, Bennett Yashon was previously a Director of Audio Visual Services at some of Maui’s premier resort and conference destinations. Bennett joined Akaku: Maui Community Television in March 2008 and earnestly stepped out of the corporate staging world to contribute his skills to empowering the voice of the community. Now spearheading the development of KAKU 88.5, Bennett shares his secret,” I always knew I had a face for radio!”

Dave Garrison

Chief of Engineering

Max Diliberto

SamvichMan

Born in California and raised on Maui, Max practically grew up in the entertainment industry, as both his parents are media professionals. A “freelance video junkie” like his father, Max enjoys learning about the many aspects of cable access from Akaku’s talented staff in his current position as a Studio Technician.

Max’s start in the business was by working in his high school auditorium. He was soon taken under the wing of the late Michael Clark who introduced him to Akaku. After graduating from H.P. Baldwin High in 2007, Max was offered the opportunity to join the Akaku team on a full-time basis to develop his professional experience.