OUR MISSION & VISION
Our primary mission is to build a Portuguese Culture & Historical Center to promote and preserve Portuguese culture and Portuguese values in Hawaii.
Our plan is to ensure that Portuguese culture, education and artifacts can be enjoyed by the Portuguese community, and the community at large, in Hawaii for years to come.
Portuguese Culture & Historical Center strives to create and maintain an environment that is fun and rewarding for PCHC volunteers, members and the community. We do this through our educational, charitable and religious activities.
We also promote and maintain the Portuguese House at the Plantation Village in Waipahu, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
DIRECTOR
BOARD MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES
Larry Cravalho was born on Oahu and raised on the islands of Maui and Oahu. As a young man he worked for the family business in Kailua, and after graduation he joined the Air Force. Upon his discharge, Larry became involved with the Jaycees and coached youth baseball for 15 years.
After working various jobs in sales and home construction, he decided to make a change in his life. In 1976 he went to work at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard as a civil service employee. Larry retired after 40 years of service working as a Planning and Engineering Manager for our Nuclear Submarine fleet.
He now owns a sports officiating business coordinating roughly 89 game officials, working the major sports - Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Football, and Soccer.
Larry became very involved with the Portuguese community as a volunteer working at the Portuguese Genealogical Society. This inspired him and peeked his interest in the idea of starting an organization whose goal would be to build a Portuguese Community Center on Oahu.
Another important change Larry made is his life was marrying Thongyod Y Yeipuy "Dang".
They've been happily married for 29 years.
Lawrence Cravalho
PCHC President
Richard "Rick" Saunders III
PCHC Vice President
Rick Saunders was born and raised on the windward side of Oahu in Kailua. He currently resides in Aiea.
A Graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Kapalama - class of 1983. After graduation from High School, he attended the University of Hawaii, Manoa on a football scholarship and graduated with a Secondary Education degree in History.
After college and a tryout with the San Diego Chargers, now Los Angeles Chargers, Rick returned home. He taught in various public and private schools on Oahu and coached football at various high schools for almost 30 years.
Rick also served in the US Navy Reserves for 21 years and retired in 2017 as a Lieutenant Commander. He's currently the owner of a fundraising/wholesale local snack shop business in Aiea. It has been in operation on Oahu for over 24 years. In addition to running his own business, Rick also works as a full-time Safety Manager for Hawaii Stevedores.
The volunteer position of PCHC Secretary is open.
If you are interested, please email pchcorg@gmail.com.
Vacant Position
PCHC Secretary
Mia Moody
PCHC Treasurer
Mia is a wife, mom, and a business owner. She resides in Ewa Beach with her husband, Marc, and her three sons, Tanner, Titus, and Taj. Her three step-daughters, Mia Lei, Ariana, and Ellia, live in Ohio.
Mia graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2012 with a B.B.A. in Accounting. She then worked at a couple CPA firms specializing in audits of non-profits until 2022, when she started her own accounting business. Her company, MVM Accounting, provides accounting and bookkeeping services to local non-profits on O'ahu.
Mia has been a proud member of PCHC since 2021 and is excited to take a bigger role as Board Treasurer for the 2023 year.
Rudy Ahlo's life journey is a testament to dedication and commitment, marked by a distinguished career that spanned several decades. Raised in Hawaiʻi, Rudy's early years were characterized by a thirst for knowledge and a strong work ethic. His educational foundation was laid at St. Louis High School. This would be the first steppingstone in a lifelong pursuit of excellence.
After completing his high school education, Rudy's insatiable desire to learn led him to the University of Hawai'i, where he pursued a series of managerial courses that would prove to be invaluable in his future career. These courses included Cost Control, Leasing vs Buying, and Contract Negotiating, equipping him with essential skills that would serve as a solid foundation for his professional journey.
In 1957, Rudy embarked on his professional career with a role in the Accounting Department of the Pacific Chemical & Fertilizer Company. In 1961, Rudy's career path took a new turn as he joined the Fred L. Waldron Company, where he worked as a Steamship Agent for Pacific Far East & Swedish Lines.
In 1963, Rudy Ahlo joined the renowned Del Monte Corporation, a milestone in his career that would span nearly four decades. He started as a Purchasing Control Clerk, working diligently to manage procurement processes and
Rudy Ahlo
PCHC Director
support the company's operations. Rudy's exceptional dedication and performance led him to be selected for the prestigious Management Trainee Program, a testament to his potential and leadership qualities.
Throughout his tenure at Del Monte, Rudy took on various roles of increasing responsibility. His career at Del Monte was a testament to his unwavering commitment, dedication, and leadership.
Today, Rudy enjoys his well-deserved retirement, reflecting on a lifetime of achievement and the indelible mark he has left on the world of agriculture and procurement. His story serves as an inspiration to all who value hard work, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence.
Wilma Boudreau
PCHC Director
Wilma Souza Boudreau was born and raised on Kauai in the Territory of Hawaii. A member of a large Portuguese family, her grandfather was a plantation manager under King Kalakaua and Makee ownership.
As a young girl Wilma sang with a group that performed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (then Kaiser's) as well as on ships and submarines at Pearl Harbor. Her group was vocally trained by the Von Trapp family (of the Sound of Music fame) and went on to record three albums and 2 single records which provided funds to help build three churches on Kauai.
After going to California to attend college, Wilma married her husband of almost 57 years, Richard. Together they left for Houston, Texas for nine exciting years at NASA on the Moon Landing Project. They, along with their two children Michele and Roland, returned to Palos Verdes, California where Wilma began her 32-year Real Estate career, specializing in assisting clients from Hawaii while working as a volunteer at the Jeanne Jugan French Catholic Care Home for 19 years.
Since her retirement, Wilma has used her "Social Work" degree to get involved in different non-profit organizations here in Hawaii.
Patrick Pihana Branco was born and raised in Hawaiʻi, and received his Bachelor’s degree from Hawaiʻi Pacific University and Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C.
As a Rangel Fellow, Patrick joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 2012. He served tours in Colombia, Pakistan, the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Operations Center, and Venezuela.
In 2020, Patrick returned home and was elected to the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives fighting for safer gun regulation, protection of native ecosystems, and Native Hawaiian rights.
Currently, Patrick is the Director for External Relations and Communications with Hawaii Green Growth, a public private partnership focused on the United Nations Sustainability Goals.
Patrick Branco
PCHC Director
Donald Keliinoi
PCHC Director
Donald Keliinoi grew up in Hawaiʻi and graduated from Saint Louis High School. Post high school, Donald studied at UCLA Business Schools and at the University of Hawaiʻi, where he received a BBA in Accounting.
While Donald is currently retired, he spent many years working at HMSA and at CEO Work Comp Hawaii, a subsidiary of HMSA.
Harvey Teves was raised on Kauaʻi and graduated from Kapaʻa High School. He moved to Honolulu to attend Chaminade University where he received a BS in Economics.
In 1962 he became a U. S. Army Security Agency and in 1966 joined the National Security Agency (NSA) in Washington, DC. By 1972 Harvey changed fields and became a contractor for Malia Land & Construction Co. New Zealand
He has also worked for HATCO Construction Company and Punahou Schools. Harvey is semi-retired, living in Hawaiʻi.
