SONDH Faculty Member Joins National Public Health Leadership Team

The American Public Health Association (APHA) is one of the most influential voices in the nation’s public health landscape—bringing together experts, advocates, and communities to improve the health of all U.S. residents. Now, a familiar face from the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene (SONDH) will be helping to lead the charge: Associate Professor and Director of Cultural Innovation and Strategy Donna-Marie Palakiko, PhD. 

During APHA’s annual meeting in Minneapolis last November, as Dr. Palakiko was busy giving a presentation, APHA’s governing council announced that she had been elected to the organization’s Executive Board. A colleague from Hawaii rushed over to share the news.

“I applied because I wanted to see change and bring an Indigenous perspective to the APHA Board,” Dr. Palakiko said. Encouraged to run by the late Professor John Casken and Michael Bird, past APHA president and the only Native American/Indigenous person to hold that role. Dr. Palakiko secured additional letters of support from colleagues in Hawaii before being named one of six candidates for three open seats.

This is far from Dr. Palakiko’s first APHA involvement. She is the immediate past chair of the American Indian Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Caucus and has served as an abstract reviewer, scholarship reviewer and representative on the Caucus Collaborative. Her membership spans multiple sections and caucuses, from Public Health Nursing to International Health and the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus.

As a board member, Dr. Palakiko  will serve a three-year term and participate in two committees: one focused on securing sponsorships for APHA’s annual conference and another on ensuring the organization’s long-term sustainability. Board members hold fiduciary responsibility, help set APHA’s strategic direction, and attend meetings both in person and online throughout the year.

Dr. Palakiko sees the role as an opportunity to inspire other Indigenous public health professionals to take on leadership positions and to deepen their own understanding of public health policy and advocacy. “I hope to broaden my network and understand public health from a policy and advocacy perspective,” she said.

APHA has a long history of taking strong positions on pressing public health issues, from opposing harmful funding cuts to advocating for leadership appointments at the federal level. The organization also hosts a growing Policy Action Institute each June in Washington, D.C., where public health professionals connect directly with policymakers ahead of the summer legislative recess.

SONDH has a tradition of engagement with APHA. Alongside Dr. Casken’s longstanding work with the American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Caucus, Associate Professor Gary Glauberman, PhD, and Assistant Professor Michele Bray, DNP, are active members of the Public Health Nursing Section, with Dr. Glauberman presenting his work on APHA-hosted webinars and both presenting at the annual meeting.

For Dr. Palakiko, the connection to APHA runs deep. A member since 2003, she has presented at every annual meeting since 2004, with a brief pause in 2015 to finish her dissertation. Dr. Palakiko picked back up again in 2019 and has remained consistent ever since. According to Dr. Palakiko, she has found a sense of belonging within the organization’s diverse network. “APHA and the Caucus have given me a ‘home,’ a sense of being brave among a diverse group of people,” she said.