"Aunty Betty" Kawohiokalani Ellis Jenkins to be honored as 2011 North Shore Kama`aina of the Year

HALE`IWA, O`AHU, Hawaii - The North Shore Chamber of Commerce (NSCOC) is proud to announce "Aunty Betty" Kawohiokalani Ellis Jenkins as 2011 North Shore Kama`aina of the Year.

North Shore Kama`aina of the Year honors an individual who has made a lasting, significant contribution to the North Shore community; and is presented at the Chamber's annual Christmas Party and Auction, to be held December 1, 2011 at the Turtle Bay Resort.

Aunty Betty will be recognized for her service as a teacher; her role as founder of Halau o Hale`iwa; leadership as a kupuna and cultural advisor for Waimea Valley; and her many other community efforts.

Born in Hilo and raised on the Big Island,

Aunty Betty is an alumnus of the Kamehameha School for Girls (1945), going on to earn her B.S. in Education at Muskingum College, Ohio and continuing her education at Long Beach State University (California) before returning to Hawaii and settling on the North Shore.

Aunty Betty has served as a teacher and mentor at institutions throughout O`ahu, including Kamehameha Schools; Pearl Harbor Elementary School; and Hale`iwa Elementary School, where she founded Halau o Hale`iwa.

Beyond her educational service and achievements, Aunty Betty is one of the North Shore's most respected kupuna, earned through decades of professional experiences and community involvement, including the development of a community kupuna program for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA); advocating native Hawaiian health and wellness through Papa Ola Lokahi; and serving as cultural advisor for the re-dedication of Waimea Valley.

A Waialua resident for over five decades, Aunty Betty is deeply embedded with the community and culture of the North Shore, including Haleiwa Arts Festival (Culture Chair); North Shore Surfing Museum (Board Member) and kapuna supportive role for the Waialua Court House, Kaiaka Beach Park, and many other North Shore community initiatives.

In addition to 2011 North Shore Kama`aina of the Year, Aunty Betty has received numerous honors and recognitions, including OHA's Kupuna Award; the Association of Hawaiian Civic Club's Kukui Lama Ku Award; National Society of Arts and Letters Hawaii Chapter Honoree; and Native Hawaiian Educator of the Year (2003).

About the North Shore Chamber of Commerce (NSCOC)

Hale`iwa Main Street, DBA the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was founded in 1985 to encourage economic development through historic preservation. Today, the Chamber exists to promote, maintain, and encourage the historic, cultural, civic, and economic welfare of the North Shore district through research, education, advocacy, and other related activities. The North Shore Chamber of Commerce is a member of the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

To learn more about the Chamber, please visit www.gonorthshore.org .