ABOUT THE STAFF                                   

Dennis Arakaki

Executive Director

Former State Representative Dennis Arakaki retired in 2006 after serving twenty years in the state legislature for the people of Kalihi, Kamehameha Heights, Ft. Shafter and Moanalua and the state of Hawaii.  With his 15 years as a City and County employee in Parks and Recreation and six years with the Kalihi Valley Neighborhood Board, he has over forty years of public service.

Dennis graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and after serving as a White House Intern in 1970, decided to pursue a degree in Social Work.  But he was more interested in doing his Social Work with underprivileged kids in the playgrounds and rec. centers. He later turned his energies to serve in the legislature to advocate for children, youth and families and being true to his sixties roots, to correct social injustices.

As a representative, Dennis was an advocate and chair in pursuit of universal health for children, universal access to quality, affordable and accessible child care, protecting children from abuse and neglect and improving the child and adolescent mental health system.  He credits many of his accomplishments, especially for children, to the Keiki Caucus and to his Keiki Caucus co-founder and kindred spirit, Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland.

Even after leaving office, Dennis still has the heart for children. He was employed as the Director of Community Relations for Common Grace, a faith based initiative that serves to connect volunteers from churches to provide mentors in our public elementary schools.    

Dennis Arakaki was recently named interim Executive Director for Hawaii Family Forum and Hawaii Catholic Conference, two organizations that honored him with the 2006, “Friend of the Family” award for his exemplary public service on behalf of Hawaii’s children and families.Contact Dennis

Eva Andrade
Director of Communications & Administration

Eva Andrade has been involved in education on public policy issues for over 10 years. As the current Director of Communications and Administration for Hawaii Family Forum (HFF), a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening Hawaii's families, Eva has assisted families in Hawaii by providing research, education, and training on a variety of issues important to the community.  

Before coming to HFF, Ms. Andrade (Simmons) worked for eight years at the Hawaii Catholic Conference (HCC), the public policy arm for the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii.   She has been actively involved in the defense of the family on such high profile issues as same-sex marriage, age of consent, and doctor-assisted suicide.

She is currently a member of the HCC Board of Directors. 

Past committees include; St. Francis Healthcare System Ethics Committee, and has the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. 

Originally from Pearl City, she is a 1981 graduate (with honors) of Star of the Sea High School in Honolulu, and currently lives in Mililani.  She has two daughters and attends Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Pearl City.