ABOUT

Staff

Deidre Tegarden, Executive Director

Deidre Tegarden is Executive Director of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, Maui, Hawaii, a position she has had since 2016. As a young woman she spent many years studying and working in Japan and China, an experience that shaped her deep respect for the contributions Asian cultures have made to Hawaii. She has extensive experience in non-profit and public sector administration and prior to joining the NVMC, she served as Chief of Protocol for the State of Hawaii in the administrations of Governors Neil Abercrombie and David Ige. Her facility with languages, Japanese and Chinese, proved beneficial in her duties which included meeting with heads of state worldwide, supervising visits of foreign dignitaries, managing official state ceremonies, and serving as an advisor on international relations and efforts to attract commerce and tourism to Hawaii. Before her work at the state-level, she was Director of the Maui County Office of Economic Development; Executive Director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters Maui;  and past president of the Rotary Club of Kahului.  She serves on the board of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and is a member of the U.S. – Japan Council, as well as an honorary member of the Alpha Delta Kappa Maui Chapter. She is a graduate of University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Japanese and Chinese Studies and is a Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Fellow,  a past recipient of Pacific Business News’ 40 Under 40 Award and a recipient of the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui’s Nihon Bunka award.

Melanie Agrabante, Archive Director 

Melanie serves as the Archive Director of the NVMC. She began volunteering with the organization in approximately 2008, transitioning to the role of Office Manager in 2013, and subsequently becoming the center’s first Research Archivist in 2017. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Melanie is an accomplished photographer, frequently contributing to NVMC news releases, social media and other publications. Born and raised on Maui, she graduated from Maui High School and holds a degree in Information & Computer Science from the University of Hawaii, as well as a degree in Event Planning from the International Festival and Events Association. Melanie studied hula under Kumu Hula Aunty Emma Sharpe and traditional Japanese dance with the Nakayama Minyo Kai under the direction of sensei Tasaka Ken. She is an active member of several professional associations, including the Association of Hawaii Archivists, the Army Historical Foundation, the American Kitefliers Association, the Crochet Guild of America, and is an honorary member of the Maui Korean War Veterans Association. In her free time, she remains a kid at heart, enjoying various activities such as reading manga, watching anime, and collecting anything to do with Godzilla. She also loves all types of creative pursuits including, but not limited to, crochet, origami and Lego.

Brian Tsuruta, Archivist Assistant

A California native, he began his academic journey in Gardena, eventually graduating from West Torrance High School in 1994. He continued his education at Marymount Junior College, earning a degree in 1996, and then at the University of San Francisco in 1998, where he specialized in Exercise Physiology. His early career was dedicated to sports performance, with a focus on training athletes, including those with the Long Beach Ice Dogs and the LA Kings. During this time, he also coached high school wrestling at West Torrance High School for five years. He then transitioned into healthcare, graduating from El Camino College with a degree in Respiratory Therapy in 2003. For 14 years, he served as a respiratory therapist in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, while also continuing to coach wrestling at Point Loma High School for an additional five years. In 2016, he made the move to Maui, drawn by his passion for surfing. This shift also opened doors to new creative and community pursuits. He began woodcarving in 2020 and has been actively volunteering with MSDNV and NVMC since 2022, leading to his hiring as archivist assistant at NVMC in February 2024. Outside of his professional and volunteer work, he enjoys learning Japanese, origami, photography, softball, hiking, and history.

Raina Ouye, Event Coordinator

A proud Wailuku, Maui native, Raina graduated summa cum laude from H.P. Baldwin High School in 2021. During her high school years, she cultivated discipline and cultural appreciation through Aikido with Maui Ki-Aikido and Eisa Odaiko with the Ryuku Matsuri Daiko group. Immediately after graduation, Raina joined the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center (NVMC) as an intern, swiftly advancing to her current role as Event Coordinator. She recently earned her bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, solidifying her commitment to understanding the past. Raina’s deep passion for anime, video games, and Japanese culture, particularly Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer), has enriched her work at NVMC. She’s successfully hosted popular anime movie festivals at the Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center, a testament to her ability to engage diverse audiences. As a former distinguished member of NVMC’s inaugural Maui “Torchbearers” cohort, Raina is particularly fascinated by WWII history, the Nisei Veterans, and the racial discrimination they faced. Her work reflects a dedication to preserving and sharing these crucial historical narratives.

Center History

The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in Hawaii in December 1991 with the goal of building a lasting tribute to the Nisei veterans of World War II.  However, its beginning goes back to 1982 when Leonard Oka, whose father Clarence “Hekka” Oka was a veteran of the 442^nd, founded Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the 442^nd, the first such organization in the nation.  It later became the Maui Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans.

Under Leonard Oka’s leadership, the NVMC was originally envisioned to be the responsible receptacle and caretaker of the history, memorabilia and artifacts of Nisei veterans. Over time a wider vision developed to encourage a larger community impact by building a “living memorial,” the NVMC campus. The gift of two acres of land from Maui Sons and Daughters of Nisei Veterans to NVMC set the stage for 20 years of facility development.