About the Festival

Festival President

Corcoran’s involvement with the Festival started thirty-two ago when she served on the Farm Fair committee.

First Vice President

Robinson serves as Chairman of the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District and has been a Festival Board of Director for thirty-seven years.

Second Vice President

Masaki Toji is the General Manager of the Ueshima Coffee (UCC Hawaii) farm. He is also in charge of the brand leader with the largest market share in Japan’s coffee market.

Third Vice President

Bolton Hind is the Director of Operations of Kona Coffee & Tea Company and a boutique Kona coffee farmer. She has served as a Festival Board of Director for seventeen years.

Fourth Vice President

Matt Carter is a retired teacher (1989-2018), part-time musician, farmer, and currently manages Greenwell Farms Tour and Retail Store Operations.

Secretary

Born and raised on a coffee farm in South Kona, Jean has volunteered as Festival secretary for forty-four years.

Treasurer

Born and raised in Hilo, Rocha graduated from Hilo High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting Degree.

Kona born, Arlene acquired her BA in Social Science from California State University, Sacramento. She is active in the Kona community and played a lead part in Coffee Gamble: 60 years play in 1992. Arlene, with her husband Dick Herberger, is proud to write and produce, Over 100 Years and Growing, premiering at the 2024 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.

Claudia works with the State of Hawaii and has served on the Festival Board of Directors for six years. She is also an active member of the Kona Hiroshima Kenjin Kai.

Born and raised in Hilo, Ceri was a substitute teacher for fifteen years here in Kona. She is also an active member of the Kona Lions Club.

A multi-generational Kona coffee farmer, Kurashige is active with the Kona Young Farmers. He has been serving on the Festival for fifteen years.

Hideki leads retail operations at UCC’s Holualoa farm. As one of Hawaii Island’s few certified Q Graders, he has also served as a judge in local coffee competitions.

Muramatsu moved from Japan to Kona in 2010 and put every effort into learning about farming. He and his wife own and operate a Kona coffee farm in Holualoa.

Helen was born and grew up in Kona, attended Konawaena Elementary, Intermediate and High School and East Los Angeles Community College. She recently retired from a successful career with First Hawaiian Bank. This is her fifth year of service.

Michelle is a 4th generation Japanese coffee farmer, crowned as the 1977 Kona Coffee Festival Queen. Michelle is currently restoring her family coffee-land-house that has been in her family for over 100 years.

Award-winning Kumu Hula Kenneth “Aloha” Victor was born and raised in Kailua-Kona. In 2006, he started Hālau Kala’akeakauikawēkiu, which focuses on maintaining and perpetuating the beliefs, teachings, philosophies, practices and traditions of Native Hawaiian culture through hula. Victor also created his own clothing line “Kaulua‘e”, with designs made in Hawaii, for Hawaii.