Judges
Dr. Melly Wilson
Director of Research, Policy and Government Relations
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL)
Dr. Wilson serves as Director for the Region 19 Comprehensive Center (American Sāmoa, Hawaiʻi, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands), delivering intensive capacity building services in the areas of planning, performance and productivity; educational equity; educator effectiveness, migrant education; and distance education. She previously served as Director of the Pacific Regional Comprehensive Center (American Sāmoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaiʻi, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau). She has served as Principal Investigator or Project Director on multiple federally funded projects (e.g., Department of Education, National Science Foundation, Institute for Museum and Library Services, Department of the Interior); and as Project Manager for multiple PREL contracts, authoring research studies, liaising with Pacific region policymakers and education stakeholders, and designing and implementing stakeholder engagement and dissemination activities. During her tenure at PREL, Dr. Wilson has led the development of major grant proposals, strengthened relationships with funders, and built new partnerships. She earned her PhD in political science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Jill Warren
Jill A. Warren is a lifelong volunteer, board member and donor. She is a retired nonprofit consultant and had many experiences as an Executive Director for local, state and national organizations. She unexpectedly developed expertise in nonprofit forensic accounting after encountering fraud and mismanagement early in her career. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University with degrees in business, public administration and family and child ecology, she continues to be involved in social justice work. Her favorite job is Grandma to Rhys, age 4.
David Miyashiro
David Miyashiro is the founding executive director of local nonprofit HawaiiKidsCAN, where he partners with families and community members to promote education innovation and equity in Hawaii. Highlights in this role have included passing legislation to increase access to computer science education, creating the We Are Voices of Excellence youth advocacy program, and launching innovations such as Wifi on Wheels, Spark & Inspire, Wahine Processing Power, and the Hawaii Education Innovation Showcase. His interest in policy and advocacy started with his experience as a Hawaii public school special education middle school teacher during Furlough Fridays. He has seen the power of community action during his professional experience with the U.S. Senate, political campaigns, and Teach For America-Hawaii. David’s board service has included the Kailua Neighborhood Board, Common Cause Hawaii, James Campbell High School’s Academy of Public and Human Services, and the Friends of Hawaii Technology Academy, as well as numerous Hawaii State Department of Education stakeholder groups. He is an alumnus of the Weinberg Fellows program and PIE Network Leadership Institute.
Meenakshi Verma
Meenakshi Verma-Agrawal is the Assistant Program Director and Associate Professor of Practice at MPH@Simmons. Her areas of expertise include public health, organizational development, and racial justice. In addition to her role at Simmons University, Meenakshi provides trainings to community-based organizations, public agencies, and corporations on how to lead with a racial justice analysis. Meenakshi’s work in racial justice is grounded in the training and mentorship from the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center’s Health Promotion Center, which focuses on the work of racial justice both inside and outside the health center. As a Professor, consultant and trainer, racial justice is the common thread throughout her work. Meenakshi racializes as Asian and is ethnically Indian, and is an immigrant; and her work is rooted in building solidarity with other people of color in a collective movement toward liberation.
