Stacey Snee, a registered dietitian from Aiea, was crowned Mrs. Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel on April 15.

A native of Arkansas, Snee, 35, first came to Hawaii while serving in the Navy with her husband, Dave. She left the Navy in 2003 to pursue her studies in nutritional sciences, earning her master’s degree from the University of Hawaii.

She formerly worked in child nutrition at a program in Washington, D.C., between her husband’s Navy tours in Hawaii. Since returning to Hawaii, Snee has mostly been involved with raising their two children, 4-year-old Brooke and 21-month-old Jake, but she intends to pursue her interest in promoting proper nutrition among Hawaii’s children.

“I feel like (the Mrs. Hawaii title) is an opportunity for me to give back to this community where I got my start in nutrition, and where I know there’s a need,” she said, citing a report that 28.5 percent of kindergartners in Hawaii are overweight or obese.

Participating in the pageant “was definitely a step out of my comfort zone,” she said, “but I really do feel like in the long run it’s going to be worth it. I feel so connected to Hawaii. We fought hard to get back here, and we hope to stay as long as we can.”

Snee will compete for the Mrs. America crown in August. Should she be selected, she would succeed Lara Leimana Fonoimoana, who was named Mrs. Hawaii 2011 and then became Mrs. America 2011.