Hawaii Island Leadership Series - Ulumau

The Hawai'i Island Leadership Series – Ulumau (perpetual growth)

The Hawai‘i Island Leadership Series – Ulumau began as a fledgling program under the wings of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. With its success and island-wide growth, the Series has moved to Friends of the Future.

Founded by Kenneth Brown in 1990, Friends of the Future was developed to create trust and harmony among the diverse cultures of Hawai‘i through a process where all people can openly contribute their deepest values, created shared visions, and continuously improve their communities.

The Hawai‘i Island Leadership Series – Ulumau was created to expand the ranks of community leadership by providing a broad range of leaders with the knowledge and incentive to confront the needs of the community. There have been 56 individuals enrolled in the Series since the first class in 2003/2004.

The Series begins in September with an orientation, followed by a two-day opening retreat. From October until May, the classes meet once per month, with full-day sessions, around Hawai‘i Island, to provide working knowledge of pertinent issues facing the community. Participants hear from experts – speakers and panelists, who provide background as well as predictions for the future of the community as a whole.

Subjects explored include: Hawaiian Values and History; Public and Private Education; Government; Health and Human Services; The Judicial System; Economic Diversity (agriculture, sciences, tourism, and development; Quality of Life; and future plans for Hawai‘i Island. The Series closes with a two-day retreat and graduation celebration in June.

To encourage participation at all levels; The Hawai‘i Island Leadership Series encourages corporate sponsorships, scholarships, and donations through Friends of the Future, a non-profit 501©(3) organization. To download an application form for The Hawai‘i Island Leadership Series, visit www.ulumau.org or call Friends of the Future at 808-885-8336.