Jeanette Takamura
CSSW connection:Jeanette Takamura served as the School of Social Work’s dean, the first woman to do so, from 2002 to 2016. She is now a professor at the School in addition to being dean emerita, teaching courses on federal policy.
Path to political involvement: Though she began her career as a practicing social worker serving youth and families, Jeanette Takamura was soon called to serve in government first at the state, and then at the national, level with the goal of advancing policies and programs in aging, health, and related areas. In her native Hawaii, she became involved in Hawaii state government, serving as the chief operating officer of the Hawaii State Department of Health and then as the Director of the Executive Office on Aging within the State of Hawaii’s Office of the Governor, covering aging, health, and long-term care programs for the state.