Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum

Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum has a diverse range of work experience. From 2012 to 2015, they were the Chief of Joint Staff/Deputy Chief of Staff/Senior Intelligence Officer at the Hawaii National Guard, where they oversaw various programs and prepared the state for contingency operations. From 2015 to 2021, they worked at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, first as the Commander's Mobilization Assistant, where they advised the Commander on a wide range of initiatives, and later as the J5 Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Strategic Plans and Policy, where they played a key role in overseeing strategic policies and plans. In 2021, they owned their own consulting business called Vares-Lum Indo-Pacific Consulting, LLC. In 2022, they became the President of the East-West Center, an independent organization that promotes better relations and understanding between the United States, Asia, and the Pacific. Finally, in 2023, they joined the Bank of Hawaii's Board of Directors.

Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, which they obtained from 1985 to 1989. Suzanne Puanani later pursued a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Teaching Secondary English at the same university from 1994 to 1996. Additionally, they completed the Transnational Security Cooperation Course at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in 2016. Moreover, they earned a Master of Strategic Studies degree from The United States Army War College between 2009 and 2011. Suzanne also undertook specialized studies in Army Strategic Education Advanced Course at The United States Army War College in 2019 alongside National Security Studies at Syracuse University - Maxwell School during the same year.