On March 31, 2026, PUBA welcomed Cheryl Bellisario, a PUBA alum and current Project Manager at the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation, as a guest speaker for PUBA 621: Political Environment of Public Organizations.
Drawing from her experience in both city and state government, Cheryl offered a candid look at the policies and behind-the-scenes politics surrounding housing issues in Hawaiʻi. She highlighted two key takeaways: (1) balancing competing organizational values is challenging, but essential to effective governance, and (2) collaborative efforts across agencies and sectors are critical to delivering comprehensive services to the communities we serve.
Students came away with a deeper appreciation for the realities of public service, including the complexity, the trade-offs, and the meaningful impact that dedicated public servants can make. We are grateful to Cheryl for sharing her time and expertise with our program!