Charter School Commissioner Bunag

Brandon Keoni Bunag is the Vice President of Public Programs and interim Director of Education at
Bishop Museum. He is responsible for all public operations as well as programmatic-related initiatives of
the Museum, including the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of the Museum’s
education initiatives and programs. These include on-site school field trips, outreach, planetarium and
communityy, public and daily programs.

He previously served on Hālau Kū Māna’s (HKM) Governing Board and later its Poʻo Kula (Head of
School). Before HKM, Brandon worked at Kamehameha Schools in the Extension Education Division.
There, he was responsible for the planning and execution of Hoʻomākaiʻikaʻi, the long-standing summer
boarding program that connected students to their kūpuna through moʻolelo, mele, oli, hula, and
cultural site visits. He was also instrumental in expanding the Hoʻolauna and Kūlia I Ka Pono summer
programs to communities across the Pae ʻĀina. Collectively, the Explorations Series were programs
designed to provide opportunities for haumāna to connect with their culture and community while
gaining a sense of kuleana. These experiences and the opportunity to serve on the Commission is fueled
by a deep passion for Hawaiian culture-based and community-based education that puts student
success at its core.

Brandon earned a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies and a master’s degree in Political Science from
the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He attained an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University
of Southern California where his research focused on resource allocation in Hawaiian-focused charter
schools. He was born and raised in Halawa, Oʻahu and continues to reside there with his wife and two
keiki, both whom have previously attended public charter schools.