Board of Directors
Steven L. Jacobs
Chairman
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Steven Jacobs is an accomplished scientist, educator, author, and media personality. He has built a career of making science fun and accessible. His experience is unmatched.
- Academic degrees and affiliations: BS,MS, EdS; Fellow of the Royal Institution, Fellow of the American Institute of Chemists
- Over 15 years of classroom teaching & administration.
- Director of Science Education at Children’s Museum of Wichita & Mr. Wizard Studio, Hollywood.
- Creator and on-air host for Jake’s Attic for FOX Television.
- Author of product for Discovery Channel, Toys-R-Us, Play-Tech & The Nature Co.
- Science consultant to Disney, National Public Radio (NPR), the Smithsonian, PBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount Television and FOX Television.
- Judge of contests including Discover Educational 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
- Dubbed Wizard IV In 1995 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.
Wayne Kamitaki
Secretary
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The success of Ace Hardware Hawaii and Hardware Science is a result of owner Wayne Kamitaki’s personal experience as business owner and father. He credits his son, Nolan, with inspiring him to help others become excited about science and learning.
Wayne’s passion for retail is part of his heritage. In the mid 1940s, Wayne’s grandmother Shikano Kamitaki opened a dry goods store in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. Her children, Tadami Kamitaki and Matsuko Mizoguchi, opened their first Ben Franklin Store in Kahului, Maui in 1950. The family business continued to grow over the next 65 years and today, they own Ben Franklin Crafts and Ace Hardware stores in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, and Las Vegas. Today, with 29 stores, over 450 employees in 4 states, and interests in Japan, the business continues to expand in new and creative ways. While the goal continues to be providing the highest level of service to local neighborhoods, their size now allows them to leverage resources and technology to create programs on a national and international basis.
Hal McCoy
Vice Chairman
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Hal W. McCoy is a Director and Head of Marketing at Veriprime Capital LLC, Chief Executive Officer at Restaurant Management Corp., and Chief Executive Officer at American Restaurant Partners LP which manages the national Pizza Hut franchise. He is on the Board of Directors at Veriprime Capital LLC and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma.
Paula Stephens
Treasurer
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Paula Stephens is Senior Financial Analyst at Oklahoma Fidelity Bank specializing in Regulatory Reporting, Fixed Assets, Financial Analysis, Account Reconciliation, Accounting, and General Ledger.
Advisory Board
Bill Aldridge
Executive Director of the National Science Teachers Association (Emeritus)
Dale Hellar
IBM Computer Systems (retired)
Dr. Richard Hudson
Senior Executive Producer and Director of Science Production for PBS (retired)
Dr. Mike Husband
Chief Archaeologist and Senior Planner of Heberling Associates
Kyle B. O’Connor
Managing Director of Marketing for the American Film Institute
Judy Plavnick
Senior Producer for Discovery Digital Networks
Dr. Robert Starr
Director of NASA Digital Learning Network (retired), Interactive Video Associates – Owner