Makerusa Porotesano

Advisory Board Member

Makerusa ‘mak’ Porotesano is a long time SPDC member who has served on the board multiple times as the Vice President (2009-2010) and president (2017-2021). He is a graduate of American Samoa Community College (AA), Portland State University (BS) & Chaminade University of Honolulu (M.Ed). As an undergraduate, mak founded the Pacific Islander Student Alliance conference which is one of SPDC’s major programs and has been a higher education professional for the last 15 years.

Mak sits on the Council of Elders for the Pacific Climate Warrior global team and was a delegate for the Pacific at the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021. Mak also sit on the grant making committee for seeding justice and is the coordinator for the Sylvania Multicultural Center at Portland Community College.

Makerusa is from the village of Fogagogo and has a daughter Matafele Makerusa.