Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association News Release
For Immediate Release
July 14, 2022
Contact: Judy Edwards
Communications Specialist
808-747-6572
(fax) 808-985-7333
Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association (HPPA) Announces New Executive Director
Melody (Mel) Boehl is the new executive director for the nonprofit Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association (HPPA), a national parks cooperating partner association. Mel brings thirty-plus years of leadership experience and a Bachelor of Science degree, Magna Cum Laude, in business administration. She began her professional career with a Big Four public accounting firm, then moved into leadership roles with large nonprofits. Mel and her husband, Andy, moved to Hawai‘i in 2015, where she joined the HPPA ʻohana as the business director.
She says, HPPA has been a national parks partner since 1933; our work supports the parks through sales at our visitor center park stores and online, which convert to park donations. I will work to increase our visibility so we can increase our support of the parks; we need to continue to uplift our park partners and communities, tell the stories of the national park sites, and promote Pacific Island culture.
Her primary goal as executive director is to deeply connect with parks visitors, NPS staff, and her own HPPA teams.
HPPA Board Chair Miki Tomita says, "We are pleased to welcome Mel officially to this position; her leadership and grace have been foundational to HPPA since she joined us in 2015 and will continue to shape this next stage of HPPA’s existence."
HPPA is the nonprofit partner of six national parks in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa. Proceeds from our visitor center park stores and online shop have contributed over $22 million in support to national parks since 1933.
