John Steelquist
John@Steelquist.com
Phone: 944-1777

Experience, Leadership, Caring

John Steelquist is a candidate for House District 25 to bring honesty and integrity to government. He is a community leader who has served twenty years as Neighborhood Board Chair in Makiki/Tantalus/Punchbowl. He understands and cares about his community. John will bring the point of view of a knowledgeable caring citizen to the legislature. He is committed to listening and supporting all the community. As a city Vision Team leader for Manoa, McCully-Molilili, and Makiki, John championed the voice of the citizens in city planning. As Neighborhood Board Chair he has worked for a better quality of life for Makiki. As a Representative, John wants to serve his community and not to use this position to run for another office later on. He believes in the old saying that "a public office is a public trust". He will serve his constituents, not himself.

When discussing government, John Steelquist is very quick to state his belief in servant leadership. He believes that a government employee, elected or appointed, should function to represent the people. Listening, discussing, and evaluating are the skills needed for public service. The quiet and underrepresented should be heard as well as those who are vocal and articulate. The purpose of government is to do those things, which can be done better collectively. Government should then stay out of the way of the individual's own actions and choices.

John Steelquist is very active in our community. For seven years John was a board member for two projects focusing on community improvement. One was the Ala Wai Watershed Association (AWWA), a non-profit organization made up of the communities between Diamond Head, Punchbowl, Koolau's and the sea. They are working with some EPA and State funding and lots of volunteer labor in a long-term project to improve water quality and build community caring. The other project was Empower Oahu (EO), which has been coordinating island wide economic development through community action. John was the Greater East Honolulu Community Alliance (GEHCA) representative to Empower Oahu. GEHCA consists of Palolo, Kaimuki, Kapahulu, and Waikiki community members.

Since coming back home from his service in the U.S. Air Force, John has been extensively involved in the community. He spent six years as co-chair of the Governor's Committee for Litter Control, twenty years as the chair of the Makiki Neighborhood Board, fifteen years on the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, four years on the board of the Ala Wai Watershed Alliance, and three years as a leader of the Manoa, Makiki, McCully-Moiliili vision team. Starting as an America's Promise volunteer, John became a member of the State Volunteer Services steering committee. This committee conducted an annual conference on volunteerism and service learning. John was the founding President of the GEHCA. Since he joined Rotary International in 1994, John has been active in many projects and committees. He is a past-President of the Rotary Club of East Honolulu. He spent two years as District 5000 Polio Plus chair and is serving his sixth year as Hawaii State ROTARACT Chair. He is active in Central Union Church where he has been a deacon and is currently moderator.

John Steelquist is a leader. He has twenty years of formal and informal leadership training in the U.S. Air Force. He is trained to lead in a crisis and has done so. He understands that the fundamentals for sustained leadership are the moral integrity of the leader and an ability to listen. When you look at his record you see that he has been chair or president of most of the organizations in which he participates. He does not seek leadership, leadership seeks him. He is willing to serve when asked, which is often.

The character trait of integrity is not easily measured like education or experience. John Steelquist has demonstrated integrity by a long tem commitment to principles and causes. His commitment to improving the quality of life in the world is the same commitment that kept him committed to twenty years of serving democracy during the cold war. Those who know him will speak of integrity and the ability to count on his word.

John Steelquist is a manager. His last seven years in the Air Force were in senior management positions. In one case he was part of a team managing two billion dollars and in another her was responsible for the training and safety of two hundred men. He has had management responsibility for nine of the twenty years he has served at Chaminade University. He understands and teaches the principles of management.

John is active in the business community. He is a small business owner. John and his wife, Laura, run a medical supply company. For five years they have served their customers with caring service. He also has been a business consultant. He serves on the Board of the Kaimuki Business and Professional Association. He is active in the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii where he has been chair of the Education Council. He has been elected to the Board of the Hawaii Society of Corporate Planners. John believes that government can greatly benefit from the principles of modern management. Quality Management is one of his specialties. He knows that cooperation and responsibility produce results.

John's interest in education has been turned into action. In the Air Force he spent twelve years as a navigator instructor. This experience was both in training school and in front line operations. He has been a Professor of Business at Chaminade for twenty years. He was Dean of the School of Business for six years. He has been a member of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Education Council for more than fifteen years and its' Chair for three years. He has been a community volunteer for the Department of Education panels for strategic planning, testing standards, and accountability. He is an elected member of the Roosevelt High School Community Council. He believes that education is the key for a better future.

John is very concerned about crime in Hawaii. He has been helping with the “Weed and Seed “ program for Moiliili/Downtown/Kalihi for the past three years. “It is the cooperation between the citizens and the police which will make our city safe.”

John Steelquist is from of a kamaaina family from Kauai. He grew up in Manoa and attended Punahou School. In school, he ran track and participated in ROTC. He went to college and entered the Air Force as an Aviation Cadet. He got his wings and commission as a navigator in 1961. His first assignment was as an instructor at James Connelly AFB in Waco, Texas. There he finished his degree at Baylor University, married Laura, and started their family with their daughter Lani. Their son John was born in California.

After a tour as an instructor navigator in California, John went to Viet Nam and Laura and the two kids came home to Hawaii. After 800 hours combat flying time, several medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, and some hair-raising experiences, John was reunited with the family in California. The rest of his Air Force career was two tours and 8000 hours flying all around the world with the Military Airlift Command, a Master's degree from Texas A. & M. in Industrial Engineering, and four years in Los Angeles developing and buying communications satellites for the military. Upon retirement, John went back to Texas A. & M. to finish his Ph.D.

John has been at Chaminade University for twenty-two years and has served as Department Chair, Dean of Business, and Professor of Business. He has been active in university service. He has chaired almost every faculty committee and served as Faculty Senate President twice.

Friends of John Steelquist
1434 Punahou St.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Call 944-1777