Tavai attends Pacific Islander Convening at White House
WASHINGTON, DC—Delegate Uifa’atali Amata Radewagen’s (R-A. Samoa) chief of staff Leafaina “Ina” Tavai represented her in attending the first White House Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Convening last Friday, Sept. 6, at the White House’s historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Tavai, a retired U.S. Army colonel, has led Radewagen’s staff since Day 1 of her entire time in Congress, and is notably American Samoa’s first ever graduate of a U.S. service academy—the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Speakers at the event included Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, CNMI Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, former Guam congressman Robert Underwood, and several others in NHPI leadership panels, and U.S. Trade representative Katherine Tai.
“I appreciate the invite, and I’m pleased with this focus on Pacific Islanders, as I’ve worked on these issues for years even before I served in Congress,” said Radewagen. “The territories and Pacific Islands achieve the most when we work together in a bipartisan way, bringing in all the Governors and U.S. Representatives.”
Radewagen has twice served prior administrations on their White House advisory boards for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. During this White House event, Radewagen was en route from American Samoa, where she had spoken during the week to the ODAPM Disaster Resilience Summit and other activities in American Samoa. She has upcoming White House events on her schedule this month, including the 30th anniversary of the historic Violence Against Women Act.
The convening was the first with more planned for Pacific Islander leaders from across the country to engage with the administration in conjunction with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
“It was an honor to be there on behalf of congresswoman Amata and attest that it was a good discussion on Pacific Island issues that can lead to consensus for future efforts,” said Tavai. (PR)
Delegate Uifa’atali Amata Radewagen’s (R-A. Samoa) chief of staff Leafaina Tavai at the White House Executive Office during last Friday’s first White House Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Convening.
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CNMI Gov. Arnold I. Palacios addresses the first NHPI Convening.
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Former congressman Robert Underwood and Delegate Uifa’atali Amata Radewagen’s (R-A. Samoa) chief of staff Leafaina Tavai.
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Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland speaks during the first NHPI Convening.
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Various Pacific island leaders spoke in a panel discussions during the first NHPI Convening.
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