Woody Vaspra

WCOE Co-founder, President and Elder Liaison
   
In his capacity as Elder Liaison for World Council of Elders, a 501(c)(3) educational organization, Woody has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Central and South America and Australia meeting with traditional indigenous wisdom-carriers of many, many native cultures. 

As a native Hawaiian, Woody is readily accepted by members of other indigenous communities, and is especially qualified and uniquely suited to work with them toward WCOE’s goal of creating a worldwide organization of traditional indigenous wisdom-keepers and spiritual leaders.  The vision of the World Council of Elders is to restore a world in which all people cherish and care for the Earth, one another, and all life.  Toward this vision, World Council of Elders is establishing a World Wisdom Council or a “spiritual U.N.” of indigenous wisdom-keepers from across the globe coming together to counsel, unite and educate humanity toward world peace.  The members of this traditional council will contribute their wisdom to re-establish and co-create within each one of us an awareness where all peoples will live in peace, harmony and love through compassion, understanding, respect and community.  Because of this vision, Woody was selected by Lakota Elders to be the Leader of the International Sundance that is being held around the world to bring the peoples of the four directions together.

Woody was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and grew-up on the North Shore of Oahu.  After graduating from the Kamehameha Schools, the Hawaiian High School for young people of native Hawaiian descent, Woody attended Beloit College in Wisconsin where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1967.  Immediately thereafter, Woody was drafted into the military and became a B-52 pilot.  He flew combat missions during four tours of duty in Vietnam.  Since that time, Woody became a specialist in fire systems engineering, safety management, emergency preparedness and planning while living in Texas and Louisiana for over 22 years.  In addition, Woody became an adjunct professor at Delgado College in New Orleans, Louisiana, and also earned an MBA in Finance from Tulane University.  In 1993, Woody retired from the United States Air Force Reserve after 25 years of service, and soon thereafter moved to Colorado.  In 1998, Woody also took an early retirement from his position as Director of Emergency Services at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (he was brought in to initiate the work at RFTS to close it down, clean it up and permanently shut it down) near Boulder, Colorado.  Woody left RFTS and the corporate world to begin the journey of creating the World Council of Elders. 

We would also like them listed as Members of the World Council of Elders Group, in the Life Long Learning booth of the Community Village. Please come and visit in mornings.