Rae Yamanaka
Secretary
Rae Yamanaka is the UniServ Director for Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), the sole bargaining union for all public school teachers in Hawaii. She is an advocate and organizer for public school teachers in the Hilo chapter on collective bargaining and due process issues.
Her 19-year teaching career at Waiakea High School involved roles as the School-To-Work coordinator for the Waiakea complex schools, Carl Perkins and Career and Technical Education coordinator, Technology Learning Center Coordinator, co-coordinator for the Hi’ilani Infant Child Care Center for Waiakea and Hilo high school students and a member of the school’s leadership council. Her teaching lines included career education, career pathways and the parenting and pregnant teens program. She also served as the Hawaii State Teachers Association teacher leader at the chapter and state levels. Chapter President and State Board member. VEBA Trust board member.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History/Education with minors in English, Social Sciences, Political Science and Library Science from Washington State University, another Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, specializing in Personnel from Washington State University, and a Master‘s in Occupational Studies from California State University at Long Beach.
Rae volunteers in various community activities such as Special Olympics, Relay for Life, Big Island International Marathon, National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive, and Hospice of Hilo’s Giving Tree. She also participated in activities for the community with the Alpha Delta Kappa organization.
She was born and raised in Pahala, Hawaii and graduated from Ka’u High School. Rae lived in Pullman Washington for 18 years before returning to Hawaii. She has three children and three grandchildren.