Aloha, I’m Sterling.

I work to build stronger communities and organizations across Hawaiʻi, creating opportunities for families and generations to come.

Leadership & Service

As a consultant, I advise businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies on strategy, communications, and public affairs. If you’re interested in working with me, click here.

I formerly served as Chair of the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority, stewarding $327 million in public assets and guiding planning for Kakaʻako, Kalaeloa, Heʻeia, and Pūlehunui.

I also founded Housing Hawaiʻi’s Future, a statewide movement that helped pass Hawaiʻi’s most significant housing reforms in four decades.

Faith & Formation

I’m a husband and father of four. Faith guides my work and family. I believe that Christ saves, and saved people build institutions that endure.

Hawaiʻi experienced one of the most dramatic awakenings in Christian history. It transformed in twenty years, from the arrival of the missionaries in 1820 to the Constitution of 1840. In that time, a nation that had practiced human sacrifice within living memory became a constitutional Christian monarchy with one of the highest literacy rates on earth. But this heritage is now largely forgotten.

I lead the Hawaiʻi Christian Heritage Project, a nonprofit effort to recover, preserve, and pass on this heritage—with original books, reprinted historic texts, and public teaching to inspire believers and equip pastors, educators, and lay leaders. This work is designed to serve Hawaiʻi’s churches for generations.

Roots & Story

I grew up in Nuʻuanu near Foster Botanical Garden, raised by my mom. I attended Royal Elementary, Kawananakoa Middle, and Roosevelt High School. As a kid, I delivered the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and learned the importance of hard work.

After graduating from UH Mānoa, I earned a master’s degree in education at Harvard. I returned home to teach performing arts at SEEQS. Later, I lectured in the Communications Department and coached debate at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, where I was honored with the Golden Apple Award for Distinguished Teaching.

I’ve also written about leadership and civic life for Honolulu Civil Beat and Hawaii Business Magazine, with work recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists. I currently write a weekly column for Aloha State Daily.

Let’s Connect

If this story resonates, let’s talk story. The best is yet to come. 🤙🏻