Letter to the Editor

I read with considerable interest the Supplement to the May 2015 edition of JHCPU, “Shinning the Light on Asian American, Native Hawaii and Pacific Island Health.” The Supplement included an excellent collection of informative and instructive papers. I was especially struck by a focus on Dr. Howard Kyongju Koh, a health professional with an inordinate array of demonstrated knowledge and leadership skills. Parenthetically, and in the interest of full disclosure, I should note that Howard was a successor to my assignment of the public health portfolio for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Since that assignment I have followed his career—a career in which he demonstrated, without much fanfare, the ability to translate scientific/medical concepts and theory into practical solutions to complex health-related, social, and economic problems. He has an unwavering commitment to health promotion and disease prevention in the global community. In this context, Howard has an above–reproach record of productivity—measured both in quality and quantity—as he has moved up the ranks of both academic and applied public health service. This achievement is the result of his consistent investment of time and energy necessary to successfully confront challenges, regardless of their magnitude.