HONOKAA — Dr. Kei-Lin K.H. Cerf has been appointed director of the University of Hawaii at Hilo North Hawaii Education and Research Center (NHERC) in Honokaa. She began her new position March 12.
Cerf, a long-time resident of South Kohala and current Honokaa resident, has a broad background in private industry, nonprofits and education on Hawaii Island. Since January 2015, she has served as director of Strategic Community Development for West Hawaii in the Office of the UH-Hilo chancellor, and director of Hokupa’a, a multi-institution partnership of leading educational and state government groups responsible for improving outcomes for keiki and youth in North and West Hawaii.
In her dual capacity, she has built and maintained education partnerships, organized education research, launched student social-emotional wellness and career readiness/early college pathway initiatives, and was responsible for external grant funding of $50,000- $100,000 per year.
As executive director of Hualalai Ohana Foundation from 2007 to 2014, Cerf led a small, dedicated team that delivered education and medical support programs to employee families at Four Seasons Hualalai and Hualalai Resort. During that period she created a nonprofit/community/public school partnership with Kealakehe High School involving volunteer mentors, teachers, youth leaders and students. She also established the Kona Village Emergency Relief Fund, a nonprofit/community partnership that provided more than $350,000 in aid to over 300 displaced workers.
“Kei-Lin has a wealth of knowledge on educational pathways and creating partnerships between communities and the educational institutions that serve them,” Dr. Ken Hon said, interim vice chancellor, academic affairs. “I have no doubt she will be successful in developing these pathways for people in the community so higher education opportunities and training are more accessible.”
Cerf earned her doctorate of business administration in leadership from Walden University, an MBA in nonprofit management from Marylhurst University and a BS in marketing management from Western Governors University.