My father is a retired firefighter (HFD) and ex-police officer (HPD), who grew up on Desha Lane in Palama with his eleven siblings and attended Kamehameha Schools ('58). My mother, Itsuko, was born in 1931 and raised in Gifu, Japan. She and her 6 siblings faced many tough challenges when their home was destroyed in bombing raids during World War II. Because of that experience, my mom instilled in me the values of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. My parents later met at Tachikawa Air Force Base (Japan), and after marrying, they moved back to Hawaii and currently reside in Kaneohe since 1968.