The Hawaii State Legislature recently honored Hale Kipa Deputy Chief Executive Officer Jaque Kelley-Uyeoka with a Hawaiʻi’s Outstanding Advocate for Children and Youthaward. The award ceremony was held on Sept. 30, 2022, by the Queen Liliʻuokalani Statue at the back of the State Capitol Building. 

Kelley-Uyeoka was nominated by Judith Clark, executive director of the Hawaii Youth Services Network, a statewide coalition of more than fifty organizations serving youth. Clark also nominated Pauline Pavao from The Salvation Army Family Intervention Services for a posthumous Legacy Award.  

Kelley-Uyeoka, who has been with Hale Kipa since 1979, will retire from her position at the end of this year. During her time with the organization, she has worked as a social worker, program coordinator, program director, and in her current role. A native of Massachusetts, Kelley-Uyeoka received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Hawai‘i and followed that with a job at the Salvation Army Home for Pregnant and Parenting Girls. She then spent a brief period on the mainland before returning to Hawai‘i where she began her career at Hale Kipa. 

She was one of six awardees as part of Hawaiʻi’s Children and Youth Day, which is observed annually on the first Sunday of October to recognize the potential and special gifts of our keiki (children) and ‘ōpio (youth).