University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

Mark Takai was an advocate for the Athletics Department during and after his swimming career at the University. As a student-athlete (1986-88) he was a Western Athletic Conference champion, a member of the Athletic Advisory Board, and served as both ASUH president and editor-in-chief of Ka Leo, the campus student newspaper. He obtained a B.A. in political science and Master of Public Health before serving in the Hawai'i House of Representatives (1994-2014) and the U.S. House of Representatives (2014-16). At the state legislature, Takai served as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education (1995–2002) and as Chairman in 2003–2004; and was the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard, taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2009) Among his numerous awards and decorations, Takai received the Meritorious Service Medal from the U.S. Army (2009, the Distinguished Service Medal from the National Guard Association of the United States (2011) and the Hawai'i Distinguished Service Order (2012), Takai, who died in 2016, posthumously received the UH Alumni Association President's Award in 2017.