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Jay April
President and CEO
Jay April has served as President/ CEO of Akakū 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 a 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

Linda Puppolo attended the University of California at Berkeley with a career that includes working for thirty+ years an  Accountant and Business Administrator in both the private and non-profit sectors;  Administrative Services Director of Akaku: Maui Community Television, Operations Manager of the largest Protea Farm in the U.S. located in Kula, Maui, a Parent-Community Networking Center Facilitator, (PCNC) and Special Education Teacher at Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao, Maui and the first woman Union Business Agent for the Gypsum Industry in the State of California.

In her twenty-five years on Maui, Linda was also a “Women of Maui” award recipient for her many years of community service, President of the Protea Growers of Hawaii, Treasurer of both the Hawaii Tropical Flower Council and the Maui Flower Growers Association, Member of School Community Councils for both Haiku and Lihikai Elementary Schools, a very loud and enthusiastic “Soccer Mom”, a Grandparent and a Foster Parent.

As part of the management team of Akaku: Maui Community Television, Linda is a strong proponent of the preservation of free speech and is dedicated to preserving the uncensored, non-discriminatory “Electronic Soapbox” that public access television provides in service to the residents of Maui County.

Terrie Roberts
Administrative Assistant

Chivo Ching-Johnson
Government Services Director
Chivo joined Akakū 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 Akakū 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 story boarding, 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 Akakū. She feels the core mission of Akakū is meaningful and empowering for Maui Nui. “There is no place in world like Maui, and especially Akakū. I hope the community of Maui realizes how lucky they are to have a voice in the media like they have with Akakū.”

Darren Corrao
Productions Specialist
In addition to independent television production, Darren J. Corrao currently works part-time for Akakū Productions at Akakū: Maui Community Television.  He was born in Brooklyn, NY, received a B.A. in Economics from New York University, a J.D. from the Cornell Law School, and an LL.M. in Taxation from the NYU School of Law.  He moved to Maui in 2000 from Tokyo, Japan, where he was working as an investment banker and international tax lawyer.  In 2005, he redirected his focus to television production and community involvement.

Darren’s most recent credits include: Editor of “Q103 Presents Maui’s Got Talent”; “Technical Director, Production Designer and Lighting Supervisor for Elections ‘08 Live Primary Election Coverage; Director of Photography for “Elections ‘08 – Ask The Candidates,” “Elections ‘08 Meet The Candidates,” and numerous promos related to Elections ‘08 (also GFX); Continuity Supervisor for “Keao” (currently in post-production) a short film written and directed by Kaliko Spenser who received a grant from National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project; Director of “Acting for Film and TV with Lisa Seagram” (currently in post-production); Director of a live webstream broadcast of the Pacific Whale Foundation’s Whale Day Celebration 2008 Concert; Director of four live television broadcasts (“Maui Daily’s Immersive News Coverage of the Hawaii Superferry – December 15, 2007″; “Maui Daily’s Immersive News Coverage of the Hawaii Superferry – December 13, 2007″; “Focus Maui Nui Youth Alliance One Hour Special” and “Akaku Relaunch Party”);  Producer of “Sketch Pad: How to Paint a Sunset”; Editor for multiple editions of “The Maui Daily”; and Director and Editor of the television broadcasts of Na Mele O Maui 2007, Maui schools’ annual song competition, and the West Maui Taxpayers Association’s West Maui Hospital Presentation.

Louis Di Liberto

Operations Director

Louis Di Liberto is an Emmy Award winning lighting director, director of photography, camera operator, editor, technical director and video  engineer. His three decades in the entertainment industry include virtually all aspects of television production for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, ESPN, HBO, and many others. He is a two time Cable Ace Award winner who shot almost every West Coast assignment for MTV in it’s early days and went on to become one of the more versatile and sought after camera-DP-editors in Los Angeles.

Located in Maui, Hawaii, Mr. Di Liberto was Director of Photography at the much acclaimed Artifact Studios on Maui, and is now the preferred choice of producers and directors who desire best quality shooting, technical direction and all around production value from their island productions.

Stephen Luksic

Technical Director

Stephen Luksic has been a freelance editor and video technician on Maui for the past 14 years. He designed and executed multimedia shows all over the world. He came to Maui after 5 years with The American Film Institute. The first 3 years he was the Video Operations Coordinator at the Sony Video Center, which produced over 150, thirty minute student films a year. During his last two years at the AFI he was Technical Director for the Advanced Technology Programs where he managed a media lab with 20 workstations and 30 software applications associated with filmmaking. He was introduced to Interactive video design and production in 1985 and was part of an award winning team. At age 17 he was Assistant Director at WHYY -TV 12 in Philadelphia.

Pete Sullivan
Programming Director
Pete joined the Akakū 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.

Shawn Michael
Programmer, Channel 52
Shawn Michael is a human being from the planet earth.  After being conceived, the tug of war between his genes encoded him as a male.   While learning what life was about at an early age he was convinced by his elders that you need to obtain money to survive.  ”The whole eating, shelter and reproduction thing used to be all you needed back in the days, apparently we now have to earn money too.  I was obviously born at the wrong time and my soul is not to happy about it.”

Tim Rausch
Programmer, Channel 53
Until seeing Akakū for the first time, on his archaic TV set, in his uncomfortably small studio in South Maui, Tim Rausch thought that Community Television was just about Wayne’s World and painting “Happy Trees” with Bob Ross.

Now days, Tim is the one that enables you watch the County Council Meetings when you can’t make it to them, airs your dirty laundry and opinions of civic affairs to all of Maui County, and still manages to find the time to watch Wayne’s World.

Tia Christensen
Media Access Technician, Receptionist
Christi Anna Christensen known to her friends as Tia for short, created product concept and designed future lines for her beverage company Jivita.  After moving to Maui in 2002, she realized that she wanted to start her own business.  With over 20 years experience in the Spa and beauty industry on all levels, including extensive marketing, sales training and presentation, event coordination and production.   A large portion of her time spent in this industry fine tuned her  P.R. skills which was essential when presenting the product.

With a focus on environmental products and a keen eye for cultural trends, Tia conceptualized Jivita.  A strong desire for her life’s works to be non-invasive for people and planet supported the product concept. Tia’s passions led to a place where she envisioned a product that was not only good for you but essential for life itself.   To create a product that encompassed not only a clean safe water beverage for people to drink but also encouraged healthy organic lifestyles for humanity all in a lovely eco-friendly compostable bottle.

The product was launched with rave reviews in November of 2005 in San Francisco at the Green Festival, a sustainability event which draws over 40,000 people.  Jivita made it to the front of the New York Times, Whole Foods was beating on the door and then disaster hit.  The mainland bottling company contaminated the product and that took Jivita down.

While contemplating her next move, Tia volunteered at Akakū Community Access Television for elections 2006 and continued on to the present.  She has embarked on a lifelong dream of having a talk show.  Tia intends to use her show “Sustainable Girl” to utilize her knowledge she gained from her Beverage Company. She intends to draw information and share it with others.  “Sustainable Girl” is intended to enlighten, empower and inspire.

Matt Robinson
Education Coordination
Matthew Robinson is the Education Coordinator at Akakū: 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.

Ka`eo Kepani
Web Administrator
Ka`eo graduated from King Kekaulike High School in 2004 where he was 1/10 of the founding video production class. The summer following high school, he began working at Akakū as a Media Access Technician.

Later, he attended UH Manoa where he studied in the Academy of Creative Media and then realized he hadn’t learned much from the school so he returned home and continued working for Akaku.

Since then, he’s worked in the Special Projects (Productions) Dept., Communications Dept., and Facility Dept. and considers himself one of the swiss army knives of Akakū. In addition to handling the website and print, Ka`eo does most of the graphics for high-profile productions. Ka`eo loves good cinematography and he loves trying to make professional-looking video on minimal budget.

Ben Yashon
Program Director, KAKU 88.5FM
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 Akakū: 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!”