Nā Kālai Waʻa Board Members
President Pomai Bertelmann
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: makawaa37@gmail.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 2004
Vice President 2009 - 2012
- Education: Hālau Wānana Native Hawaiian Teacher Cohort
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a, Volunteer Crew Member and Education Leader
- Work Experience: 1997-2001 Nā Kalai Waʻa Program Coordinator;2000-2001
Polynesian Voyaging Society State Wide Sail Coordinator; 1999 E Mau Sailing
the Master Home Assistant Voyaging Coordinator; 2007 Kū Holo Mau Sailing
the Master Home Voyage and Logistics Coordinator; Instructor, Kanu o Ka ‘Āina
Charter School 2001-Present
- Voyage Experience: 1995 Tahiti to Hawai‘i, 1999 Hawai‘i to Micronesia, 2000 Tahiti
to Hawai‘i, 2007 Chuuk to Woleai, 2007 Captain, Woleai to Yap, 2007 Yap to
Okinawa, 2007 Hiroshima to Yokohama, 2014 Sāmoa to Tonga,
Tonga to Aotearoa (Hōkūle‘a World Wide Voyage)
Vice President Milton (Shorty) Bertelmann
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: milton.bertelmann4@gmail.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Waʻa Board Member since 1994
President 2015 to 2019
Vice President 2012 to 2014, 2019 to present
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Co-Founder
- Volunteer - Mentor Captain, Navigator, and Education Leader
- Work Experience - Retired Construction Supervisor, Grace Pacific
- Qualifications - Pwo Master Navigator
(2007 Traditional Ceremony @ Satawal, Micronesia)
- Voyage & Canoe Building Experience: 1975 Hōkūle‘a
(began training, Papa Mau Piailug)
32 Years Apprenticeship with Mau Piailug
1976 Hōkūle‘a, Tahiti Voyage
1985-1987 Captain, Hōkūle‘a Voyage of Rediscovery, Tahiti to Aotearoa
1994-1995 Supervised building of Nā Kālai Wa‘a Voyaging Canoe, Makali‘i
1995 Navigator of Makali‘i, Hawai‘i to Tahiti
2002-2007 Supervised building of Nā Kālai Wa‘a Voyaging Canoe, Alingano Maisu
Vice President Maulili Dickson
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: Maulili.D@gmail.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 2015
Treasurer 1994-1995
- Education: AS Hotel Restaurant and Culinary Arts
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a, Volunteer, Canoe Builder, Crew, Quartermaster
- Work Experience: Restaurant Manager, Mechanic, Carpenter, Ranch Manager,
Exec Director YMCA Hawaiʻi Island (Waimea Office)
- Voyage Experience: 1978 Hōkūleʻa Voyage to Tahiti, 1992 Quartermaster
Hawai‘i to Tahiti, 1991 to 1993 Mauloa Construction and Launch, 1994 to 1995
Makaliʻi Construction and Launch, 1995 Hawaiʻi to Tahiti - Quartermaster,
2014 World Wide Voyage Mālama Honua - Hikianalia Tahiti to Sāmoa
Secretary Kaimana Barcarse
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: nap2matsonia@gmail.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 2009
Vice President 2015 to present
President 2012 to 2014
- Education: MEd, University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa
Created and ran a summer sailing program for Hawaiian youth-at-risk 1974
Conducted research regarding Hawaiians in the University of Hawai‘i system
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a - Volunteer
Mentor Captain and Education Leader
- Work Experience - Retired Sea Captain, Matson Navigation
- License / Qualifications: U.S. Coast Guard Unlimited
- Master’s License - Pilotage for Hawai‘i ports & Qualified for vessels of unlimited tonnage and power, all oceans and any licensed deck capacity
- Voyage Experience: Voyaged with Hōkūle‘a interisland, West Coast USA and Japan
- Sail boats between Hawai‘i and West Coast, USA
Treasurer Brandi Beaudet
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: brbeaude@ksbe.edu
- ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 2019
Treasurer
- Education: Konawaena High School, Chaminade University (B.S. Accounting)
- Work Experience: Director of ʻĀina Management, Kamehameha Schools; Land Manager at Parker Ranch, where he organized the Kohala Watershed Partnership
and the West Hawaiʻi Wildlife Management Organization
Director Deedee Bertelmann
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: ddbertelmann@yahoo.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 1994
President 2004 to 2009
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a, Volunteer Crew and Education Leader
- Education: Hālau Wānana Native Hawaiian Teacher Cohort
- Work Experience: Teacher, Kanu o Ka ‘Āina Charter School
- Voyage Experience: 1999 Micronesia inter-island, 2007 Micronesia inter-island
Director Bonnie Kahape‘a-Tanner
Kāne‘ohe, HI 96744
e-mail: kahapea@gmail.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 2012
- Education: Masters Degree in Transformative Learning and
Change, California Institute of Integral Studies
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a, Volunteer Crew and Education Leader
- Work Experience: Captain, Mana Maoli 1999- present
Project Director & Captain, Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy
- Kahu, Pūnana Leo o Kawaiaha‘o
- Voyage Experience: 1999 Hawai‘i to Micronesia; 2014 Rarotonga to ‘Aitutaki
(Hōkūle‘a World Wide Voyage)
Director Chelsey K. Dickson
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: keohopuanani@gmail.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 2021
- Education: Hawaiʻi Community College, Licensed Realtor, UH Master
Food Preserver Certificate
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a, Crew member, provisioning and cooking during sails,
funding committee member
- Work Experience: Realtor 2008, Kanu o ka ʻĀina Community Engagement
Coordinator 2016, HPA Advancement Stewardship Coordinator 2019
- Voyage Experience: Makaliʻi coastal sails, Tahiti inter Island sails for the
World Wide Voyage, Hanaunaola voyage to Mokumanamana 2019
Norman Piianaia: Advisory Council
Kamuela, HI 96743
e-mail: nap2matsonia@gmail.com
- ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian)
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since 2009
Vice President 2015
President 2012 to 2014
- Education: MEd, University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa
Created and ran a summer sailing program for Hawaiian youth-at-risk 1974
Conducted research regarding Hawaiians in the University of Hawai‘i system
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a - Volunteer
Mentor Captain and Education Leader
- Work Experience - Retired Sea Captain, Matson Navigation
- License / Qualifications: U.S. Coast Guard Unlimited
- Master’s License - Pilotage for Hawai‘i ports & Qualified for vessels of unlimited tonnage and power, all oceans, and any licensed deck capacity
- Voyage Experience: Voyaged with Hōkūle‘a interisland, West Coast USA and Japan
- Sailboats between Hawai‘i and West Coast, USA
Georgine Busch: Advisory Council
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
e-mail: buschg@hawaii.rr.com
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a Board member since
President 2000 to 2004,
Treasurer 2012
- Nā Kālai Wa‘a - Volunteer
- Work Experience: Treasurer, Earl and Doris Bakken Foundation
- Other Boards Served On: Hawai‘i Public Radio 2008-2011
The Bakken Museum, treasurer
Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Friends of The Future
Health Frontiers, treasurer
Neighborhood Place of Kona
