Meet the Commissioners

Chair, (term 2025-2029)

A native of Wilmington, NC Alphonso Braggs began his career being active in local politics and community policy development at an early age.  By the age of 16, he was elected as the Southeast U. S. Region Youth Council Treasurer.

After high school, he served honorably for 26 years in the U. S. Navy serving in tours from the Pentagon to Special Programs. As a combat veteran, he completed over ten arduous deployments including the North Pole.

A devoted social justice advocate, he is committed to defending civil and human rights. He serves on the NAACP National Board of Directors, the Political Action and Legislative Affairs Committee, International Affairs Committee, Veteran Affairs Sub-Committee and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.

In August of 2017, Mr. Braggs received a Presidential appointment to the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights State Advisory Committee. He is a longtime member of the Board of Directors, Japanese American Citizens League, Honolulu Chapter. He also serves on the Hawaii Department of Education Civil Rights Compliance Advisory Committee and the FBI Community Civil Rights Advisory Committee. He also serves as the Youth Programs Director and is a member of the District Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee.

A resident of Hawaii since 1992, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, a Master of Business Administration and a Certification in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.  Mr. Braggs is fully engaged in the development of future leaders; he mentors youth and aspiring entrepreneurs.  He is a much sought after mentor, life skills coach, lecturer, motivational speaker, poet and author.

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Dr. Jon K. Matsuoka

Commissioner, (term 2019-2027)

Jon K Matsuoka completed his graduate studies in social work and psychology at the University of Michigan in 1985 and in the same year assumed a faculty position at the University of Hawai’i Myron B Thompson School of Social Work.  In 2000 he became dean of the school and remained in the position for 10 years until becoming President of Consuelo Foundation in 2010.  After 6 years he left to form Pili Group Consultants.  He has been a resident of Papakolea for 25 years and enjoys backyard farming and raising bees.

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Arsima Muller

Commissioner, (term 2022-2027)

Ms. Muller is a partner with the law firm of Carlsmith Ball LLP in Honolulu.  Her practice includes administrative/regulatory law, with an emphasis on environmental and land use law.  She actively practices in Hawaii, Guam, and the Marshall Islands, where she is originally from.  She received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Boston College in Massachusetts.

Ms. Muller is the current President of the Board of Directors of We Are Oceania, a non-profit organization providing support services to the Micronesian and Pacific Island communities in the State.  She is also on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii.

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Raymond Nichols

Interim Commissioner (term 2025 to 2029) 

Raymond Nichols is an interim Civil Rights Commissioner for the State of Hawaiʻi and a third-year law student at the William S. Richardson School of Law, where he focuses on child welfare, civil rights, and public interest advocacy.  In Fall 2026, he will also begin pursuing a Master of Public Adminstration and Graduate Certificate in Public Policy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, deepening his commitment to systemic reform and community empowerment.

Ray has served across all three branches of government, gaining extensive experience in law, policy, and public service.  He has worked as a judicial intern at both the First Circuit Court and the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, conducted legislative drafting and policy research for the Hawaiʻi State House and Senate, and supported civil rights mediation and enforcement with the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission.  His coursework has emphasized areas including Administrative Law, Legislation & Statutory Interpretation, Nonprofit Orgaizations, and Negotiation & Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Ray is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), ensuring that childrenʻs best interests are represented in Family Court.  He volunteers with Family Programs Hawaiʻiʻs Project Visitation, serves on the Executive Board of the Honolulu Branch of the NAACP, and sits on the UH Manoa Student Advisory Council.  His long-standing service reflects his dedication to community-centered justice, especially for vulnerable families.

Before law school, Ray served 11 years in the U.S. Army as an Air Traffic Control Chief and Deputy Director of Airspace Management.  His military leadership and sicipline continue to be an anchor for his legal advocacy and public service.