Kim Coco
was born on the
island of Kauai. She was named by hotelier Grace Guslander - after the
famous Coco Palms Hotel. Kim Coco's parents are Linda Toshiko and
Robert Iwamoto, Jr. Her ancestors left Japan and immigrated to Kauai
and California to work in the fields. Her grandparents, Robert and
Florence, founded Robert's Hawaii as a mom & pop taxi service;
today, Robert's Hawaii employs 1500 service industry professionals.
From her
father, Kim Coco
learned how to strive toward a vision and invest in people. From her
mother, she learned “to give as much as we can” and
that
life lessons appear when we are ready. Kim Coco also has a family of
friends that extend around the world. She understands how blessed she
is and with that comes a responsibility to give back. Kim Coco has a
lifetime commitment to volunteerism and community service. She is an
advocate for serving the greater good.
Commitment to Education:
Kim
Coco attended both public and private schools in Honolulu: Hokulani
Elementary, Aliiolani Elementary, Hanahauoli, and St. Louis High
School. After graduation, she moved to the mainland and obtained the
following degrees:
Associates
in Merchandising, Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC)
Bachelors
of Arts in Creative Writing,
San
Francisco State University (CA)
Juris Doctor, University of New Mexico School of Law
Commitment to Youth:
Kim Coco has demonstrated her
deep commitment to young people as a:
- member of Safe Schools
Community Advisory Committee for Department of Education
- licensed therapeutic foster
parent
- volunteer guardian ad litem
for the First Circuit Family Court
- coordinator of youth
leadership development program (NY)
- volunteer for Project
Visitation (Na Keiki Law Center)
- speaker at high schools and
colleges on civil rights issues and community service
- volunteer at a support center
for children living with HIV (CA).
Serving the People of Hawaii:
Kim Coco is an advocate of the
people. She has served the communities of Hawaii by:
- volunteering at Legal Aid
Society of Hawaii
- working as managing attorney
at Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii
- providing pro bono attorney
services through VLSH
- serving on the Board of
Directors for Kulia Na Mamo
- serving on the Board of
Directors for Hawaii People's Fund.
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