January 2025 Gleanings
Happy New Year! Now entering its 59th year, your Big Island Press Club is still going strong!
We've added three new board members to enhance our mission, and we're continuing our programs to promote openness in government and grow new journalists to keep us informed. Our monthly board meetings are continuing via Zoom, and all members can attend our next one at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 by using this link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/84672370655
Questions? contact Secretary Nancy Cook Lauer at nclauer@gmail.com
Seeking nominations for Torch of Light and Lava Tube awards
Do you know someone especially deserving of the BIPC Torch of Light or Lava Tube awards? Here's your chance to put in nominations, based on actions -- positive or negative -- individuals or groups conducted in 2024, furthering or inhibiting the public's right to know.
The Torch of Light award is given to an individual or entity for illuminating the public’s right to know, while the Lava Tube dishonor is given for a lack of communication and keeping the public in the dark.
Please email nominations and your reasoning on why they deserve the award to one of the BIPC board members listed at the end of this newsletter. All nominators are kept confidential. We'll be discussing the nominations at the Feb. 8 BIPC Board meeting, so please submit nominations as soon as you can, so they can get a good airing by the board.
As it has for past 28 years, the 59-year-old press club announces the awards yearly on March 16, Freedom of Information Day, the birthday of James Madison, who was widely regarded as the father of the U.S. Constitution and the leading advocate for openness in government among our founders.
Here are lists of previous honorees and dishonorees to give you an idea. But don't let the list intimidate you. We're open to just about anyone, as long as you can provide a compelling reason why they should be honored or dishonored.
Aloha from your President!
The new year has begun, and we're promoting our scholarship program. We are actively seeking collegiate journalists who align with our mission to offer scholarships. Please share details of the BIPC scholarship across your social media platforms. If you're interested in serving on the scholarship committee or any other BIPC committee, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Save the date for our May 8 scholarship dinner! We are currently searching for a suitable venue. If you know of any readily accessible meeting rooms with affordable delicious food, please let the scholarship committee know: Robert Duerr, John Burnett or me.
The board is currently working on organizing our social media presence. We are reviewing our current social media activity and identifying areas for improvement in terms of club visibility, mission, and purpose. Please follow, like, tagor friend BIPC on your social media platforms. We appreciate your engagement with our posts.
You're welcome to join us for any board meeting. Our meeting schedule for the year includes monthly Zoom meetings on Saturday mornings. We look forward to another year of service!
We hope to see you at an upcoming event. In the meantime, please help us spread the word about our scholarship opportunities.
Meet your 2025 BIPC Board
We're excited about the mix of new and established board members, ensuring fresh perspectives while maintaining our institutional knowledge and proven performers. Mahalo to all the board members who put in the hard work to help BIPC thrive!
New Board Member John Atwell
Atwell is a former CIA Senior Operations Officer. His 23-year career began as an analyst, took him to every continent except Antarctica, and included work in counterintelligence, counterproliferation, counterterrorism, and counternarcotics. He later worked for five years for DHS, retiring from federal service in 2020. He is currently editor of The Weekly Intelligence Notes (a periodical of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers), author of The Island Intelligencer (a monthly column in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald), and Editor in Chief for a private intelligence company in Europe. He regularly gives public talks on espionage issues and media literacy.
New Board Member Maya-Lin Green
Maya-Lin Green joined the Big Island Press Club board in 2025 as a former BIPC scholarship recipient. In addition to being a full-time student at the University of Hawaiʻi, Hilo, Green proudly serves on the education and communications teams at the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC), co-developing K-12 climate science lessons, writing articles, and developing communications materials. Born in Philadelphia, Green moved to Hawaiʻi in 2019 with her two amazing children and their awesome Papa. She is earning a bachelor's degree in mass communications and media journalism. When Green isn't at school or work, she's probably outside, going for a run, or relaxing with loved ones.
New Board Member Megan Moseley
Megan Moseley's experience ranges from long and short-form reporting to print, digital, radio and television news coverage. In Hawaiʻi, she's worked for local media outlets including the Hawaii Tribune-Herald and Big Island Now. She has covered a wide range of topics including local and state politics, environmental affairs, Native Hawaiian issues, travel, tourism and education.
Moseley's a 2010 graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Magazine Journalism and specializations in Geology and History. A 2024 BIPC scholarship winner, she's currently working on her master's degree from New York University and Ohio University and is focused on conflict resolution and peace practices in indigenous cultures in the Pacific. She's currently living on Maui and is a reporter for Maui News.
BIPC President Tiffany Edwards-Hunt
Tiffany Edwards-Hunt is a leadership teacher and the student activities coordinator at Keaʻau Middle School. She advises several clubs, including Greenwaves Gazette, the school newspaper. She's married and has two teenage children. She's been a member of the Big Island Press Club since 2001, having previously worked as a reporter for West Hawaii Today. She later freelanced for various publications and founded the Big Island Chronicle, a blog that evolved into a print newspaper. She briefly explored a career in politics, which proved to be an unsuitable path. As a journalist at heart deeply committed to the principles of press freedom, she remains an active member of the Press Club.
BIPC Vice President Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson has a rich history with not only the Big Island newspaper scene, but is actively involved in many groups and associations here. Wilson is a charter member of the Big Island Press Club.
Wilson graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Business.
He joined Donrey Media in 1962, Donrey eventually became Stephens Media and Wilson became their media division manager responsible for 5 west coast dailies plus West Hawaii Today. In 2002, Wilson retired as the Hawaii Tribune Herald Publisher and Stephens Media Division Manager.
Wilson currently serves on the Pacific Tsunami Museum Board of Directors, the Volcano Art Center Board of Directors, and is a member of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce.
In the past, Wilson has served on the boards of numerous associations in Hawaii, including serving role as President of the Hawaii Publishers Association and the President of Hawaii Society of Professional Journalists.
BIPC Secretary Nancy Cook Lauer
Nancy Cook Lauer has more than 30 years experience as a journalist, winning national and state awards for newspapers in Florida and Hawaii. She publishes a daily state government news aggregate and commentary blog, All Hawaii News. After retiring in December, 2022, as government reporter for West Hawaii Today, Lauer moved to a part-time position as advisor to Ke Kalahea, the student newspaper at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where she's helping to grow new journalists on the island.
Former president of the Big Island Press Club as well as ongoing vice president of the Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Lauer has a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Old Dominion University. She earned her reporting chops covering the 2000 Bush v. Gore presidential election at Florida’s ground zero and was honored with a BIPC Torch of Light award and a Hawaii state Senate commendation for uncovering questionable spending practices in local government.
BIPC Treasurer Robert Duerr
Robert Duerr is an award winning writer, film maker. Award winning films for NASA, The Department of the Treasury, World Healing in Hawaii and top music entertainers including AC/DC. Member of Outdoor Writers of America Association and has written for Surfing, Paddling, Cousteau Society, Outdoor Life. Columnist for Hawaii Fishing News. Throughout his career he has volunteered with many Hawaii community groups including independent schools.
Immediate Past President John Burnett
John Burnett is the senior reporter at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald with 19 years service at the Hilo daily newspaper, covering police and courts.
An Illinois native, he arrived in Hawaii in 1973 in the U.S. Navy and stayed after his honorable discharge in 1975. Burnett earned his bachelor's degree in English and a teaching certificate at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and a master's degree in education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He spent 30 years in radio, 12 in Honolulu and 18 in Hilo as a disc jockey, newscaster, talk-show host, program director and sports play-by-play announcer. He is the former voice of UH-Hilo Vulcans athletics and the Hilo Stars of the defunct Hawaii Winter Baseball league. He also taught English for six years in the Hawaii public schools system at Hilo and Waiakea high schools before being hired at the Tribune-Herald in 2006.
Press Club Director Patsy Iwasaki
Patsy Y. Iwasaki, Ph.D. is a faculty member of the English Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and teaches the journalism/media writing classes. She received her Ph.D. in Learning Design and Technology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and also has an M.Ed. in education. In addition to media writing, her research interests and teaching practices include instructional design and development, digital humanities, English studies, media studies, migration narratives in graphic novels, documentary film, diversity, place and community-based, culturally relevant resources in education, and cross-cultural exchange and collaboration. She has conducted extensive research activities, published articles, and given presentations in the United States, Asia and Europe in these areas.
Director emeritus Ross Wilson Jr.
Wilson is the Principal of Current Events, A Strategic Communications Agency since 1990.
He is a graduate of Hilo High School, attended University of Hawaii Hilo and graduated University of Hawaii Manoa with a Bachelors Business Administration, Travel Industry Management.
Active in the community, Wilson was the West Hawaii Field Representative for the late United States Senator Daniel K. Akaka. He serves in the same capacity for United States Senator Mazie K. Hirono.
Wilson currently serves as the Executive Director of the Kailua Village Business Improvement District.
He currently serves as the Co-Chair of Ahu’ena Heiau, Inc., Chair of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, President, Home Corporation, member of the Board of Directors of the Kona Community Hospital, Big Island Substance Abuse Council, Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation, Hawaii Community Builders, West Hawaii Housing Foundation, and member of Hawaii Community College Chancellor’s Advisory Board. He serves as Vice Chair of CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union and Donkey Mill Art Center. He is a current member of the YWCA Hawaii Island Capital Campaign Committee.
Wilson is a member of the Board of Governor for the Japanese Cultural Center of Kona
He is a former Chair of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Kona Family YMCA, Kuakini Exchange Club and University of Hawaii Hilo Chancellor’s Advisory Committee.
He also served as a member of the Kukio Community Fund Advisory Committee, Kona Kai Ola Foundation, Kona Outdoor Circle Foundation and Hawaii Community Foundation’s West Hawaii Fund.
Wilson is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, Friends of NELHA, Kealakowaa Heiau, Hawaii Employer Support for the Guard & Reserve, Hawaii Island Food Bank, Hawaii Island United Way, Big Island Visitors Bureau, Friends of Hakalau Hawaii Wildlife Refuge and Na Leo O Hawaii.
He is the recipient of the 2010 Hawaii Community College Mahalo Award and the 2012 University of Hawaii Hilo Distinguished Alumni Award. He served as the Grand Marshall in the 2024 Kona Christmas Parade.
2025 Big Island Press Club Board
Please feel free to contact any board members with your suggestions, or if you wish to volunteer!
President: Tiffany Edwards Hunt, former journalist, middle school teacher
newswoman@mac.com
Vice President: Jim Wilson, retired publisher, Hawaii Tribune-Herald jimwilsonvolcanocottage@gmail.com
Secretary: Nancy Cook Lauer, retired journalist, blogger www.allhawaiinews.com <nclauer@gmail.com>
Treasurer: Robert Duerr, filmmaker and journalist, Hawaii Fishing News <surf77@me.com>
Immediate Past President: John Burnett, journalist, Tribune-Herald <jburnett@hawaiitribuneherald.com>
Director: Patsy Iwasaki, professor, University of Hawaii-Hilo
<piwasaki@hawaii.edu>
Director: John Atwell, former CIA Senior Operations Officer, columnist, editor <jno.p.atwell@gmail.com>
Director: Maya-Lin Green, education and communications team member, Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center <mlgreen@hawaii.edu>
Director: Megan Moseley, journalist, reporter for Maui News <info@meganmoseley.com>
Director Emeritus: Ross Wilson, PR, Current Events rossw@current-events.com
