Board of directors
Robin Stueber
Chairman
Robin Stueber has been with the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii since its founding, serving as its chairman for several years. She is an executive coach and has worked in banking, investments and insurance, and previously ran her own business helping small companies with web marketing and e-commerce operations. She has served as a director for various community and professional organizations over the years. She is married and has children. During her spare time, she enjoys music, audiobooks, recreational sports and gardening.
Jonathan Durrett
Vice chairman
Jonathan S. Durrett is a senior partner at a Honolulu law firm and a lifetime Island resident. His practice concentrates in real estate transactions, environmental counseling, land use entitlements and exempt organizations. He represents a variety of developers and landowners, as well as financial institutions with interests in Hawaii. He has also served as general counsel to a private university with a Hawaii campus. Durrett participates in national committees of the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and has served as a court-appointed arbitrator for many years.
Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D., is a recognized scholar, public policy spokesperson and community leader in Hawaii. He holds advanced degrees and is an expert in East-West philosophy and ethics. He has taught at universities in Asia and the United States. In 2016 and again in 2020, he was elected to statewide public office as trustee-at-large for the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Eddy “Ed” Kemp
Ed Kemp spent decades as president and CEO of a Hawaii-based business and financial consulting firm. Earlier in his career, he served as chief financial and administrative officer for a major Hawaii estate, and before that worked as a tax department manager at a large public accounting firm. A longtime Hawaii resident, he has been active over the years in various community and business organizations. He and his wife have been married for many decades and have a large family that includes children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mark Monoscalco
Mark Monoscalco is an independent consultant to small businesses, specializing in computer systems design, software selection, installation, and training. Earlier in his career, he served as an officer of a family-run asphalt paving and material supply contractor on the U.S. mainland. Monoscalco holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He and his wife have made Honolulu their home for many decades.
Robert W. “Bill” Hastings II
Bill Hastings II is an attorney in private practice on Hawaii Island. His practice focuses on estate planning and related matters. Originally from the Mountain West, he holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and math, served on active duty in the U.S. Navy, and earned his law degree from a major mainland law school before relocating to Hawaii. Hastings is a former Hawaii state chairman of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and serves on the boards of community organizations on Hawaii Island.
Fred Noa
Fred Noa is a Hawaii-born and raised entrepreneur and co-founder of several local companies working across real estate, hospitality design and investment. Born and raised in Hawaii, he has a long history of community involvement and has served on the boards of various health, faith-based and civic organizations over the years.
Lawson Bader
Lawson R. Bader is president and CEO of a national public charity focused on enhancing civil society. He has previously led and held senior positions at several public policy organizations and serves on the governing boards of national policy networks. He began his career in the U.S. Senate, with a government affairs firm, and at a major research institute. As a writer, he has been a columnist and contributor to several national publications. Bader holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and German and a master’s degree in public policy.
Frederick W. “Fritz” Rohlfing III
Frederick W. “Fritz” Rohlfing III is an attorney with a Honolulu-based law firm. Born in Hawaii, he holds an undergraduate degree in economics, where he graduated with honors, and a law degree from a major mainland law school, where he gained litigation experience through a legal aid clinic. He has concentrated his practice primarily in litigating real property, environmental, unfair trade practices, insurance coverage and professional negligence cases in state and federal courts. He has also served as counsel to the minority in both chambers of the Hawaii State Legislature, was appointed by a former Hawaii governor to a state commission, and has served as a delegate to Hawaii’s annual United States District Court Judicial Conference.
Richard Rowland, (1930-2020)
Founder and chairman emeritus
Richard Rowland co-founded the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii in 2001 after long careers in both the U.S. Army and the insurance industry. Originally from Texas, he held a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and earned a master’s degree in educational administration while serving in the Army. He moved to Hawaii in the early 1970s while attached to the U.S. Pacific Command and stayed in the islands after retiring from the military as a colonel. He spent the following decades as a financial representative in the insurance industry, where he was widely recognized for his professional accomplishments and community involvement, including small business advocacy. He also ran for public office on several occasions. In his later years, he relocated to the mainland to be closer to family. He passed away in 2020.
