Dr. Mālia Purdy was born in Fort Polk, Louisiana and raised in Waiehu, Maui. She attended Pūnana Leo O Maui, Kula Kaiapuni O Maui ma Pāʻia & Kalama, and graduated from Kamehameha Schools Maui. She then went on to receive her BS in Biology at Pacific University, MPH in Native Hawaiian Health and PhD in Community-Based & Translational Research at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Dr. Purdyʻs journey at Hui No Ke Ola Pono started in 2022 as the Executive Director and she believes her path was set forth by her kūpuna. She descends from a line of advocates and educators, as her tūtū was part of the pioneer group that fought for Hawaiian language and culture to be taught in public schools and was a lāʻau lapaʻau practitioner. Dr. Purdy is a true local girl who loves going to the beach, chasing sunsets, and always trying to find the water wherever she is in the world.