Hirono selects Boys & Girls Club Maui CEO as guest for 2024 State of the Union
Each year, the three branches of the US government get together to hear the president lay out the next year’s agenda at the State of the Union address. Representatives are permitted to bring one guest. This year, Kelly Maluo-Pearson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui, will accompany US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) as her guest.
For more than 35 years, Maluo-Pearson has worked to support keiki and their families on Maui. Following the wildfires on Maui last year, Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui (BGCM) provided mobile youth development services to displaced families across Maui and offering additional after-school support for students.
“Kelly [Maluo-Pearson] represents the best of our state,” said Sen. Hirono. “I’m honored to welcome her to the Capitol as my guest for President Biden’s State of the Union Address on behalf of all those who have come together to support our Maui ʻohana.”
As of Dec. 11, 2023, BGCM said they had distributed more than 500 backpacks full of school supplies, supported over 400 families through financial assistance and helped 300-plus Maui youth replace lost resources for team sports and group activities.
Kelly Maluo-Pearson is celebrating her 27th anniversary with BGCM this year. Prior to becoming CEO in 2014, she served as the director of operations for more than 17 years. On Aug. 4, 2017, former Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa proclaimed the day “Kelly Pearson Day” for her 20th anniversary with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui. In 2023, she was awarded the Blue Spirit Award at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Pacific Region Leadership Conference, for her impact during her time with the organization.
“Attending the State of the Union is a rare and unique opportunity to witness history and I am humbled and grateful to Sen. Hirono for this opportunity to represent the people of Hawaiʻi as her guest,” said Maluo-Pearson. “As our community continues to rebuild, I look forward to working with the senator and all our elected officials to secure robust funding that will ensure our Maui youth and families continue to get the care and assistance they need to rebuild their lives, as well as provide the support all the people in our state of Hawaiʻi need to survive and thrive.”
The State of the Union 2024 will take place at the US Capitol on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 4 p.m. HST.
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