Meet our ohana: Keith DeMello

Apr 19, 2021

Keith DeMello serves as Ulupono Initiative’s director of communications and community, overseeing all communications, community-related campaigns and programs supporting Ulupono investments focused on growing Hawaii’s self-sufficiency and resilience. With more than two decades of experience in public relations and communications, he brings a wealth of knowledge from working in a wide range of industry sectors, including corporate, government, nonprofit, and information technology. Keith’s career expertise is key to spreading awareness of sustainable progress in Hawaii, sharing impactful stories with the community, and creating a supportive environment for success.

Prior to joining Ulupono Initiative, Keith worked at Anthology Marketing Group as vice president of public and government affairs. He also served in the Office of Gov. Neil Abercrombie as deputy communications director and for the State of Hawaii Office of Enterprise Technology Services as senior communications manager. 

Keith is extensively involved in Hawaii's communications community, having served as a past-president of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Hawaii Chapter as well as the American Marketing Association (AMA) Hawaii Chapter. In 2020, he received the President's Leadership Award at the PRSA Hawaii’s Koa Anvil Awards, which annually celebrates the best work of Hawaii's public relations industry. He continues to serve on the volunteer boards of PRSA Hawaii, the Hawaii Chapter of the American Advertising Federation, the Honolulu Zoological Society, and the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. He also donates his time to the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center on Maui.

Born and raised on Oahu, Keith is a graduate of Maryknoll School and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Click here to learn more about Keith and the Ulupono Initiative team.