Robert has served as executive director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools since 1989, and president of the Hawaiian Educational Council since 1992. He holds these positions concurrently while also providing founding leadership for two educational organizations, the Hawaii Council of Private Schools and the Pacific Basin Consortium. At the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Robert has increased membership from 30 to 50 full-member schools and has added more than 20 associate and affiliate members. New services for teachers, trustees, business managers, and technology coordinators have been added during his tenure. Research studies on teacher professionalism and private school trusteeship have been written, and cost saving programs for internet service and group purchasing have been added.
Present initiatives are in the area of accreditation, communications, and student programs.
Representing Hawaii s private schools at the legislature since 1990, Robert coordinated a successful initiative to deregulate the licensing procedures for K-12 schools, along with requirements for teacher certification, and reorganized these functions on a peer review basis governed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools, established in July of 1996. Born and raised in the Midwest, Robert arrived in Hawaii in 1983. All four of their children have attended and graduated from independent schools in Hawaii.