Keiko Bonk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Keiko Cecilia Bonk (born July 13, 1954) is an American activist, artist, musician and politician working in the state of Hawaii. She was the highest ranking elected Green Party member in the United States, having been the first from the party elected to a countywide leadership position. She served the County of Hawaii as its chairman from 1995 to 1996. With the support of presidential candidate Ralph Nader, Bonk achieved strong showings campaigning for county mayor. She lost both elections.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Bonk attended Hilo High School on the Big Island of Hawaii from which she graduated in 1972. She then attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she obtained a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1976. Bonk went on to achieve a master of fine arts degree from Hunter College in New York City in 1982.
Bonk began her active political career by running for the Hawaii County Council from the Upper Puna-Kau-South Kona district in 1992. She served until 1996, the year she was urged by her constituents to run for mayor. Bonk lost to Stephen K. Yamashiro in 1996 and Harry Kim in 2000. Throughout the mid- and late-nineties, Bonk was an instructor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Bonk was appointed President and Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural Center in Honolulu in 2003. She was fired in February 2005 by its board of directors citing philosophical differences. [1] Bonk contributes to the Honolulu Weekly. She is currently a member of the Hawaii Audubon Society and executive director of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Network.
