Businessman and philanthropist Warren K.K. Luke, longtime member of LAI Aloha Chapter, was recently selected in this year's group of Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients. The Ellis Island Honor Society awards medals to distinguished people of diverse backgrounds who have selflessly worked to better their community. Luke accepted the medal at a ceremony at Ellis Island on May 13, 2023.
Warren Luke is Chairman of Hawaii National Bank and its holding company, National Bancshares. Luke and the Bank have been involved in many facets of the real estate industry. The Bank is the number one lender for entrepreneurs in Hawaii.
According to the Ellis Island Award Ceremony program, Warren is a "member of the fourth generation of a family that has made significant contributions in their passion to be part of Hawaii and the world. Luke carries on the legacy of his great grandfather who left his ancestral home in 1875 to immigrate to Hawaii.
Warren set the example that hard work and community involvement could have a positive effect, well beyond one's hometown. Over the decades, the Luke family has upheld a passion for education and public service, providing avenues for all to expand their cross-cultural awareness and respect."
Warren has served as a member of the National Board of Governors of American Red Cross, a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, a Trustee of the Appraisal Foundation, and he is Chair Emeritus of the Pacific Basin Economic Council headquartered in Hong Kong.
Also, Warren is a Trustee for the Foundation for the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, and Chairman of the Sun Yat-sen Hawaii Foundation. In 2015, he received the Business Leadership Hawaii Lifetime Achievement Award from Pacific Business News.
A graduate of Babson College, Luke holds an MBA from Harvard University. In 2012, Luke '62 received a "O" in Life Award from Punahou School where he was on the Board of Trustees since 1988. He established the Luke Center for Public Service and the Luke Center for Chinese Studies there.
Submitted by Cheryl Soon, Historian, Aloha Chapter.
Photo of Warren Luke, Courtesy of Aloha Chapter
