Four Hawaii nonprofit leaders have received Ho‘okele Awards recognizing exceptional work within Hawaii’s nonprofit industry.

The awards are given annually by the Hawaii Community Foundation in partnership with the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation.

"We’re honored to congratulate these hardworking and inspiring individuals for their years of service to our community," said Kelvin Taketa, president and CEO of the Hawaii Community Foundation, in a press release. "We recognize that this line of work is incredibly demanding, and we’re committed to investing in Hawaii’s leadership. We hope that through the Ho‘okele Award we can help to sustain the dedication of our local nonprofit leaders."

Each Ho‘okele Award recipient received $10,000, which they can use for professional development and personal renewal.

The 2014 recipients are:

Suzanne Case, executive director, Hawaii Program, The Nature Conservancy, who for more than 27 years worked to protect thousands of acres of land throughout the state, manage Nature Conservancy preserves and support the forest stewardship work of Hawaii’s watershed partnerships. As executive director since 2001, Case and her staff have worked with local communities and partners in Hawaii. In addition to overseeing 13 preserves totaling 49,000 acres, Case also oversees Palmyra Atoll nature preserve and research station in the Pacific. A Hilo native, she has received multiple honors for her contributions to forest and marine conservation.

Howard S. Garval, president and chief executive officer, Child & Family Service, who leads one of Hawaii’s oldest and largest nonprofits. Under his leadership, Garval has completed the acquisition of two smaller organizations, a successful $7 million capital campaign to build a domestic abuse shelter and traditional housing program, the creation of a hui of large nonprofit leaders with mutual concerns for advocacy, among other things. Garval is the chairman of the board of PHOCUSED (Protecting Hawaii’s Ohana, Children, Under-Served, Elderly and Disabled) and chairs the advisory board of the Hawaii Family Support Institute. He is a founding member of Hui Kupa‘a, a public-private partnership between the state and the nonprofit human service sector designed to improve quality of life by focusing on housing, education, and workforce.

Nanci Kreidman, chief executive officer and co-founder of the Domestic Violence Action Center, who has more than 30 years of experience working with local and national efforts to address family violence issues. Kriedman has conducted training for and addressed local, national and international audiences on critical topics related to families, women and children. She has served on committees at the community level and through appointment by the governor, chief justice, mayor and attorney general, including on the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Hawaii State Commission on Status of Women, and the Hawaii Children’s Trust Fund.

Nola A. Nahulu, artistic director, Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus, who for nearly 40 years helped develop the talent of thousands of performers around the state as a music educator and director of choral music. Nahulu has conducted a wide range of choral groups, including the Honolulu Symphony Chorus, the Molokai Children’s Chorus and the Bishop Memorial Choir. She currently serves as choral director for several local music groups. A Makaha native, Nahulu has served as a board member of the Hawaii Arts Alliance and Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. She also has served two terms as president of the American Choral Directors Association, Hawaii Chapter, and also is a member of the Hawaii Music Educators Association and the Music Educators National Conference.