Bernice Musrasrik is the Support Specialist of the Ahupuaʻa Accelerator Initiative. Born in Pohnpei and raised on Oʻahu and currently residing on Kaua’i, Bernice has over 6 years of experience in community-facing, culturally-relevant program management around native agroforestry, native food systems, and health equity. Her education background is in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University.
Before coming to HCA, Bernice has spent the last decade working in various roles and capacities for Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services (KKV) in Kalihi, ‘Oahu. She began as KKV’s first AmeriCorps VISTA assigned to grow the programming of KKV’s 100-acre nature preserve Ho’oulu ‘Aina, focusing on native forest restoration, and lead coordination of ‘Kaluaopalena’ community gardening program in the largest public housing project in the state of Hawaii, Kuhio Park Terrace. Towards the end of her KKV journey, Bernice served as Ho’oulu ‘Aina’s Operations Coordinator, and also lead Project Coordinator of a $2-million HRSA award to KKV called “Optimizing Virtual Care” serving KKV’s clinical and community spaces.
Her passion for the field of conservation began during an internship for the USDA NRCS branch in her home land on Pohnpei during summers between college intercessions. Her project focused on piggery waste management in local villages. Bernice participates in various cultural and malama aina programming in both professional and personal capacities including Na Maka Onaona (Na Kilo Aina, Project Huli’ia), and Wa’a Kaulua Pae Kula.