HHSAA Staff Directory - Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA)

Christopher Chun

Executive Director

Christopher Chun took over as HHSAA executive director in March 2010, succeeding Keith Amemiya after Amemiya's 11 years at the helm. Chun worked as a civil litigation attorney in Honolulu for seven years and had served as general counsel for the Oahu Interscholastic Association from 2005 to 2010, also helping the HHSAA establish a first-ever statewide transfer eligibility rule. Chun graduated from the University of Hawai‘i’s William S. Richardson School of Law and earned a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from Chaminade University.

Chun also worked as an SAT math teacher.

Chun, a 1992 graduate of ‘Iolani School, participated in football and baseball as a youth and has helped coach his son's youth baseball team.

Upon his hiring, Chun said, “Growing up, being educated, playing sports, living and working in Hawaii has made me realize how important high school sports and education is to our community ... I recognize that these are trying economic times, but I look forward to long and lasting success with the assistance of all involved as the HHSAA continues to shape and contribute to the welfare of all student-athletes in the state of Hawai‘i.”

Russell Aoki

Associate Director

Russell Aoki joined the HHSAA as office manager in January 2011. He is responsible for the HHSAA’s accounting and bookkeeping, billing and invoices, and tournament ticket, T-shirt and program sales, in addition to other office duties.

Aoki was a bookkeeper and network technician for Pacific Direct Connect, Inc. from 2005 through 2010 and also served as a residential loan officer for Innovative Mortgage Solutions during that same period. He also was a residential loan officer for Hawaii Home Loans from 2002 to 2005.

Prior to that, Aoki operated his own company, Account Management Resources, LLC from 2000 to 2002, helping small businesses with their accounting, bookkeeping and human resources needs.

He graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration (accounting).

A 1994 graduate of Kaiser High School, Aoki lettered in baseball, basketball and bowling and was a member of the Cougars' 1993 baseball state championship team. He also served as an assistant baseball coach at Kaiser for three years.

“I have been involved with sports as a player and fan since little league days and I look forward to be involved with such an integral part of Hawai‘i sports,” Aoki said.

Natalie Iwamoto

Director of Information and Marketing

Natalie Iwamoto joined the Hawaii High School Athletic Association staff in 2004 as an administrative assistant, but was named Director of Information a year later. As information director, she oversees the media relations and operations for 45 high school state championship events in 19 different sports.

Prior to joining the HHSAA, Iwamoto served as Operations Assistant for the Hawaiian Islanders arena football team, a position that integrated public relations and marketing, which included media guide production, website maintenance and game-day fan experience.

Iwamoto is a graduate of the University of Hawaii where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism. She first gained experience in the field working with media relations at the university's athletic department as a writer and primary media contact for the school's men's and women's tennis teams. She continues to remain actively involved with the university as a statistician for multiple sports, including football, basketball, indoor and beach volleyball.

Her experience with the professional level extends beyond arena football, working with the NFL Pro Bowl and preseason exhibition games, as well as the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers exhibition games in Honolulu.

A 1997 graduate of Kaimuki High School in Honolulu, Iwamoto earned varsity letters in basketball, volleyball, softball and soccer. After graduating, she served assistant coach for her alma mater's varsity and junior varsity girls basketball squads and coached community basketball and soccer for her two daughter’s teams. In her free time, Iwamoto enjoys going to the beach with her family and surfing.