Punky has served as CEO of Hale Kipa since 1998. Raised in North Dakota by public school math teachers, Punky developed a “profound sense of social justice and a deep commitment to finding a way to contribute.” He previously served as a street youth outreach worker as a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America, a domestic Peace Corps program) and helped found LUK Inc., a nonprofit multi-service adolescent and family counseling agency in Massachusetts in 1970, serving as its CEO for 28 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and political science, and an MBA with a concentration in public management from Boston University.