The Hon. Papali’i Manufou Liaiga-Anoa`i, is a proud San Francisco native and first generation Samoan-American. She is a celebrated Samoan activist, revolutionary leader and visionary whose representation as a courageous advocate and public elected has opened doors not just for her Pacific Islander people, but for many marginalized, unseen, voiceless communities. 

She hails from both Samoas with lineage in Lauli’i and Faga’itua, American Samoa; Sapapali’i and Salelologa, Savai’i, Samoa; Ta’u and Olosega, Manu’a and Vaiala and Falealili, Upolu, Samoa. A mother of six and wife to Muagututi’a Le’apai Ryan T Anoa’i Amituana’i. 

A product of public education, she was elected in 2015 and continues to serve as Board Trustee on the Jefferson Elementary School District Governing Board in Daly City and is noted as the highest vote getter to date. 

She currently serves as a Commissioner on the City of Daly City Personnel Board since 2018, Board Member of APAICS – Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, Board Member of Junipero Serra High School Board of Regents. This past January she was appointed to a Commission seat on San Mateo County’s First 5 Commission that oversees early education for the region and was a accepted to the School Board Partners a National Cohort of 98 School Board electeds from across the country. 

For the past ten years she has been a Commissioner to the San Mateo County and Past Vice President on the Commission of Status Women, is a Commissioner on the City of Daly City Arts and Culture Commission, Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center Board and Lowell High School Alumni Board of Directors, San Mateo County Arts Commission – District 5 Representative, Board Member to P.I.E.F.E.S.T. – Pacific Islanders Encouraging Fun, Engineering, Science & Technology, Committee Member of Regional Pacific Islander Health Task Force and on the Board of Directors for REACH San Mateo County. 

Manufou served as the first Pacific Islander Liaison and District 11 Aide to former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. during his tenure. She was also a member of former Mayor Edwin Lee’s Asian Pacific Heritage Committee. 

In May of 2019, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond appointed her as Co-Chair to the Closing the Gap Initiative where she continues to advocate for equity, inclusion and access across California. 

In 2009, she founded Pacific Islander Community Partnership whose mission is to “Engage, Educate & Empower Our Pacific Communities” and in 2011 created Camp Unity – Polynesian

Pacific Islander Summer Enrichment Program which has served 8,000 Bay Area students over the past ten years. 

She has lent her voice and experience over the years as a keynote speaker, panelist and community advocate locally, nationwide and in her Oceanic communities abroad. 

Her leadership has been recognized by the California API Legislative Caucus as a Civil Right Leader of Excellence, inductee of the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame, Woman of the Year in the California Assembly, in the City and County of San Francisco by Mayors Willie Brown and Edwin Lee, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and nationally through the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

She is currently dedicating her time supporting women to run for office and mentoring a new generation of young emerging leaders.