KTA’s Taniguchi Named BSA Aloha Council President, Chair

Barry K. Taniguchi, KTA Super Stores’ chairman and chief executive officer, has been named the new president and board chair of the Boy Scouts of American Aloha Council.

Taniguchi, born and raised on the Big Island, became a member of the Cub Scout pack chartered at Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin when he was eight years old. He later became a Boy Scout and continued as a scout until he was a freshmen in high school.

“We are thrilled to have Barry Taniguchi as Aloha Council’s new president,” said Jeff Sulzback, Scout Executive and CEO of Aloha Council. “A former Scout and a natural leader, we are fortunate that Barry will continue to serve the Scouting community in his new role.”

Taniguchi’s own sons joined the Aloha Council as scouts as boys and he once again found himself involved in the council.

“I’m honored to have been chosen to serve an organization that has given so many young people the chance to grow and learn more about themselves and the world they live in,” said Taniguchi. “Scouting gives children and adolescents the opportunity to gain knowledge in a variety of areas and provides a broader perspective on how to lead their own lives as they grow into adulthood.

A total of 12,000 scouts with 5,000 volunteers are currently apart of the Aloha Council throughout the state, Guam, and American Samoa.

“As a Scout, I learned values such as respecting all living things and how to be a leader to others. These values have become a part of who I aim to be throughout my life,” Taniguchi said.

The Aloha Council was established in 1910 by D. Howard Hitchcock, who founded Rainbow Patrol, the first local troop, charted by Punahou School.