"The Future of Women in Politics on the Big Island" by Valerie Poindexter at LWVHC General Mtg.

Valerie Poindexter has served on the Hawai'i County Council (District 1) since 2012.

She shared an inspirational history of the women’s suffrage movement in Hawai’i and the contributions of Emilie Kekāuluohi Widemann Macfarlane and Wilhelmine Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett, and the other amazing women who paved the way for the women and men in leadership roles on the Big Island today.

She urged the audience to remember and appreciate the women who had the passion and the perseverance to fight for civil rights and the right to vote, and urged them to continue their legacy today.

BIO

Valerie Poindexter was born and raised on a sugar plantation camp in the district of Hamakua in Pa'auilo. She graduated from Honoka'a High School, received a Paralegal Certificate from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, and a BA in Health Care Administration from the University of Hawai'i - West O'ahu.

She currently serves as the President of the Ookala Community Association, Advisory Board Member of the Hawai'i Community College Substance Abuse Counseling Program, Advisory Board Member of the University of Hawai'i - Heritage Center in Honoka'a, and Board Member of the Hawai'i Collaborate Health Initiative. She recently served as the President of the Hawai'i State Association of Counties (HSAC), Chair of the National Association of Counties (NACO), Member of the Resilient Counties Advisory Board, and Vice Chair of NACO's Health Steering Committee.