Aukahi Austin Seabury, PhD is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Executive Director of I Ola Lāhui, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides behavioral health services to medically underserved Native Hawaiian and rural communities throughout the pae ‘āina with its team of providers and psychology training program. 

She is a member of Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā Native Hawaiian Health Consortium and an ‘Olapa of Hālau o Ke ‘A‘ali‘i Kū Makani under Kumu Hula Manu Boyd

Dr. Austin Seabury provides training to health providers in the use of culturally-minded, evidence-based practices and works as a consultant providing facilitation, strategic planning, team building, training, and evaluation services to health and education organizations.

Dr. Keawe Kaholokula is a clinical health psychologist and translational behavioral scientist who leads federally funded research projects to improve Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander health, leveraging community and cultural assets to improve cardiometabolic health outcomes. He has served on national advisory boards to improve NHPI health, such as the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities. He was recently elected into the National Academy of Medicine for his pioneering evidence-based interventions using indigenous cultural values and practices to improve cardiovascular, diabetes, and obesity disparities for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

​​​​​​​Born and raised on the Windward side of Oahu, Paloma’s experience includes the roles of teacher, administrator, and facilitator in the educational realm. With a background in both educational leadership and mindfulness practices, Paloma brings a unique perspective to her role, seamlessly integrating strategies to foster both personal growth and professional excellence. Paloma’s work is informed by her belief in the power of mindfulness to drive positive change in educational settings. Her unwavering dedication to fostering a balanced and mindful approach to professional development continues to inspire and uplift those she works with, making her a valued asset to our team and the broader educational community.

Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada (sher/her) is Native Hawaiian born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. She is a Research and Evaluation Manager at Liliʻuokalani Trust. With a Master's of Public Health concentrating in Health and Social Behavior, Jaysha is deeply committed to understanding and addressing the social determinants of health. Passionate about the power of community and its role in fostering well-being, Jaysha works to ensure that the voices and needs of systemically excluded populations are heard and met. Jaysha finds joy in being outside, reading, and spending time with ʻohana and friends.

Keoki teaches the lāʻau lapaʻau (Hawaiian Medicine) courses at Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. His mission is to advocate for the preservation and innovation of Hawaiian medicinal practices through teaching, providing learning experiences that empowers exponential learning of lāʻau lapaʻau, and by supporting local grass-root communities whose missions work toward one of five divisions of lāʻau lapaʻau knowledge: botany, horticulture, phytopharmacology, medicine, and hoʻoponopono.

Hone Bailey is a Māori artist dedicated to preserving and sharing both traditional Māori weaving techniques and Western sewing, and textile practices adopted by Māori. His early experiences in Kohanga Reo, Rūmaki, and Kapahaka fostered his passion and commitment to Te Ao Māori. He credits his teachers, Whaea Aroha, Whaea Teihi, and Whaea Ngaire, for nurturing his cultural appreciation from a young age. 

Hone graduated with honors from Toihoukura – School of Māori Art and Design in Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa, where he specialized in traditional weaving. Through social media, he has reached a global audience, promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of these cultural art forms. His work emphasizes the connection between these practices and the natural world, highlighting the importance of preserving unique resources. The style of weaving he practices is called raranga, with the specific technique known as whiri mekameka.  

​​​​​​Dr. Merritt (Kanaka Maoli) was raised in the ahupua’a of ‘Aiea in the moku of ‘Ewa, O‘ahu. She lives in her family home with her husband, son, and two nieces. At the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu, she is an Associate Professor of Indigenous Health Sciences, but she walks in the professional footsteps of her mother, a social worker who pioneered culturally-based substance misuse treatment. Her current work draws on concepts and theories from medicine, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and public health to reduce Native Hawaiian health inequities within a social justice framework.

Leinā‘ala Bright, MPH is a lomilomi and lāʻau lapaʻau practitioner from Waimānalo who has been with Waimānalo Health Center since 2015. Under her leadership, the cross-disciplinary cultural health or Ma‘iola program has grown in securing resources, developing classes, attracting patients and improving health outcomes. She lives by the mantra, "A healer in every home, a garden in every home."

Dr. Michiko Kimura Bruno is the Medical Director, Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder Center at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is a professor of Medicine at the John A. Burns Medical School at University of Hawaii. Her research interest is to identify and decrease the health and access disparities in the community. She earned her medical degree from Kyoto University Medical School in Japan. She completed her Neurology Residency at Weill-Cornell University New York Presbyterian Hospital Program in New York and completed a Movement Disorder Fellowship at Human Motor Control Section, NINDS, NIH in Bethesda Maryland.

Dr. Baron Ching is an internal medicine physician with 42 years' experience. He’s a graduate of and Assistant Cinical Professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Previously the Medical Director of Ke Ola Mamo, Dr. Ching is currently in private practice. He is a member of the Medical Executive Committees of the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific and Queen’s Medical Center. Dr. Ching also coordinated medical stations for the
Honolulu Marathon and led the Medical Team of Huakaʻi iā Mauna Kea. He has danced hula under Hula Hālau Kalehuakiʻekiʻeikaʻiu under Kumu Hula Ab Valencia and ʻūiniki’d in 2017.

Sean Chun is a traditional healer at Ho`ola Lahui Hawai`i,on the island of Kaua`i. He has a degree in Hawaiian studies, and is traditionally trained in several healing arts as well as lua. Sean works throughout the community to teach traditional healing arts. He is also adept at farming, fishing, and carving, but he enjoys cooking for others the most.

Dr. Kaleo Correa earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She is certified as a family nurse practitioner and sees patients of all ages and backgrounds in the areas of pediatrics, women’s health, chronic disease management, and geriatrics. Kaleo enjoys rural community health care and has worked at a Skilled Nursing Facility, a Critical Access Hospital, and primary care
clinics throughout Hawai‘i Island. Being Kanaka, she brings cultural awareness and sensitivity to her practice at Waimea Primary Care. In her free time, Kaleo enjoys gardening, yoga, and traveling with family.

Lynette Hi‘ilani Cruz, PhD, is an educator, anthropologist, and cultural advocate born in Hilo and raised on Oʻahu. A longtime resident of Waiʻanae, she is a dedicated protector of ancient Hawaiian historic sites. As a former professor at Hawai‘i Pacific University and Leeward Community College Waiʻanae, she champions place-based education, inspiring students to mālama ʻāina through hands-on learning. Cruz has led Hui Aloha ʻĀina o Ka Lei Maile Ali‘i, which engages communities in cultural service honoring Queen Liliʻuokalani. An active researcher and advocate, she contributes to the 2019 Native Hawaiian Survey, 2022 Healthy Hawaiian Project, and 2023 Hawaiian Activists Project, and serves on the Waiʻanae Kupuna Council.

​​​​​​Dr. Lori Daniels’s career has spanned over 30 years, with special emphasis on aging and PTSD, military sexual trauma, Vietnam War veterans, and treating trauma-based nightmares. Mentored by veteran therapists about how to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), she witnessed the compassionate and innovative ways that they approached each survivor’s recovery work. Since then, Dr. Daniels has continued their legacy by clinically consulting and teaching students. Her research and clinical publications include articles in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work and Traumatology, as well as several book chapters. She is currently a Professor of Social Work at Hawai‘i Pacific University.

Aloha ti! Leilani sent me her bio and headshots, yay! 

here is her bio: Aloha mai e ka mea heluhelu mai ka lā hiki i Haʻehaʻe a ka lā kau i Lehua, aloha nō. ‘O wau nō ʻo Leilani Digmon, a i Lahaina ma ka mokupuni ʻo Maui wau e noho ai me kuʻu kāne, ‘o Kapali Keahi, a me kā māua mau keiki. 

Greetings readers from the rising sun in Haehae until the setting sun in Lehua, greetings indeed. My name is Leilani and I live in Lahaina on the island of Maui with my husband Kapali Keahi and our children. I am a  Kanaka Maoli birth worker (Senior student midwife, haumana pale keiki, koʻokua (doula), Childbirth Educator, Indigenous Lactation Counselor), cultural practitioner, and homeschool mākua of 3 keiki.   For the past three years, I have served the islands of Maui and O'ahu with homebirth midwifery services alongside midwife Connie Perkins (LM, CPM).  I am a long standing board member, Ko'okua, and Pale Keiki for the non-profit Kalauokekahuli, which supports Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families by providing culturally-rooted prenatal, birth, and postpartum education and services.  I am also the owner and operator of Mauna Kahālāwai Midwifery and Birth Services, LLC established in 2024.  

Kanaka Maoli traditions and beliefs surrounding childbirth and childrearing is my passion. I am here to serve our community and to help foster the reclamation of Kanaka Maoli birth practices. E ola nō ka ‘ike hānau Hawaiʻi!

​​​​​​Dr. Adrienne Dillard, PhD, CEO of Kula no nā Po'e Hawai'i for over 25 years, in the Papakōlea  communities. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Hawai'i and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work from Hawai'i Pacific University. She is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hawaii’s JABSOM, Department of Native Hawaiian Health. Her leadership is rooted in community research. She leads the Community Advisory Board for the PIKO’s Community Engagement and Outreach Core. She focuses on empowering NHPI community health workers and supporting collaborative research to improve community well-being.

Kunane is a leader within the LGTBQI Community providing ongoing cultural competency trainings to service providers.  He is experienced as a RESPECT, counseling, testing and referral, and rapid testing trainer.  Kunane served as the Director of Prevention Services at Life Foundation since 2006, and has experience working with prevention intervention strategies, linkage to care, and prevention for positives.

Janine “Kara” Dumaguin, M.Ed., is a doctoral student at Chaminade University studying Leadership for Adaptation and Change. Rooted in the ahupuaʻa of Kaʻawaloa and Kaʻūpūlehu, she carries ancestral ties to Hawaiʻi and Aotearoa (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Koata). Kara supports Hui Kahuwai (formerly the Kaʻūpūlehu Marine Life Advisory Committee) and has long collaborated with Aunty Lei Keakealani Lightner to deliver ʻāina-based education through the Kalaemanō Interpretive Center. Hui Kahuwai’s work centers on restoring nearshore fisheries through the Try Wait no-take period and developing a community-based Fisheries Management Plan grounded in ʻike kupuna and a shared vision of ʻāina momona.

​​​​​​Jennifer Elia, DrPH, is the Maternal and Infant Health Lead for ECAS. With over a decade of experience in public health and clinical research, her work centers on reproductive and maternal health, particularly among Native Hawaiian and underserved communities. She specializes in community-engaged, mixed-methods research to address health disparities and improve culturally relevant care. A native of rural Puna on Hawai‘i Island, Jennifer holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Puanani Fernandez-Akamine is the current editor of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Ka Wai Ola newspaper and an award-winning Indigenous journalist. Prior to joining OHA in 2019, she worked for 30+ years at Kamehameha Schools in both its communications and education divisions. She is passionate about helping our lāhui tell their stories in their own words to inform, uplift and inspire. Puanani has a BA in communications and an M.Ed. in educational administration. She is blessed to live in the ʻāina momona of Kahaluʻu, Oʻahu, with her extended ʻohana. Mahalo Ke Akua.

Dr. Marie Kainoa Fialkowski Revilla is a Kanaka ʻŌiwi wife and mother of four from the ahupuaʻa of Waiāhole. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Indigenous Lactation Counselor, and Certified Lactation Consultant. She is the first tenured Kanaka ʻŌiwi Director of the Nutrition Support Shared Resource (NSSR) at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center. Her role as director is to support the design and implementation of studies addressing dietary intake and nutritional status in the Hawaiʻi-Pacific Region as well as maintain its unique food and supplement composition database. In addition, she specializes in indigenous nutrition, lactation, and infant feeding practices.   

Bella Finau-Faumuina is from the ahupuaʻa of Kalihilihiolaumiha and the ʻili ʻāina of Mokauea, Oʻahuʻs last fishing village.  She is an advocate/educator, who is dedicated to implementing Hawaiian culture, history, and practices into public schools across Hawaiʻis pae ʻāina. She currently serves as an educational specialist in Hawaiʻi Department of Education and provides support and training to schools and teachers throughout the island chain, delivering Hawaiʻi-centered content and practices aimed at addressing the historical and ongoing suppression of Hawaiian education.

Kinohi Fukumitsu was born, raised and still resides in Waimānalo. She is a mother of six keiki and holds a B.A. in Hawaiian Studies. In 2008, she began working as an intern at Paepae o Heʻeia and later became the Internship Coordinator and Restoration Manager. With her passion for aloha ʻāina, Kinohi became a Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo Lohe Pono Fellow in January 2021. Here strength of kilo made her an excellent student of evaluation and the art of valuation. She works closely with Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo and Hoalaʻāina Kūpono in Hakipuʻu. Currently, she is implementing Kamakai, a program she developed with KKNOW that teaches kamaliʻi to kilo.  Kinohi takes pride in being a lifelong learner, researcher and kumu.

A passionate Native Hawaiian, Heather Haunani Giugni is media content creator and activist who celebrates her community through storytelling. She is also a mentor, producer, director, and writer who enjoys documenting and preserving stories of Hawai'i's native people.

She has been the guiding force behind Juniroa Productions for more than 30 years, producing documentaries and short films about Hawai‘i, its culture, history and people. She co-created a new company, Rock Salt Media, which is producing the series Family Ingredients and supported by Pacific Islanders in Communications.

She is most proud of her work with ʻUluʻulu at UHWO - a moving image archive that preserves and shares our precious stories.

Her success can be attributed to great collaborations and cherished relationships and love for community.

Keith Makaleʻa Gutierrez is the Research Program Manager at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. He has served the Hawaiian community for over seven years through research, data, and evaluation work. He works to align programmatic research projects, tasks, and activities to OHA’s organizational initiatives, including research projects in education, economy, housing, health, anthropology, archaeology, cultural studies, history, political history, geography, sociology, linguistics, conservation, natural resources and the environment.

Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi is an award-winning journalist and founding member of the ‘Ahahui Haku Moʻolelo (Hawaiian Journalism Association). She was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, and was one of the first graduates of the Hawaiian language immersion school Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu.

She went on to study Journalism & Mass Communications at Seattle University, and returned home to work on the Hawaiian language television news program ʻĀhaʻi ʻŌlelo Ola, which aired on Hawaii News Now’s Sunrise morning program.

Her unique skillset of Hawaiian language fluency and journalism were valuable assets in building the Hawaiian news media industry with the launch of ʻŌiwi TV, an on-demand television news station with programming produced by and for Native Hawaiians. Her in-depth research and reporting on Native Hawaiian water rights earned her and the ʻŌiwi TV team their first international journalism award at the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters’ Network Journalism Awards in 2012.

Hiʻipoi Ho, born and raised in Waimānalo, is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Southern Utah University (B.S. in Family Life and Human Development), and Hawaiʻi Pacific University (Master of Social Work). She is a Social Worker at Liliʻuokalani Trust, supporting Native Hawaiian keiki through counseling and culturally grounded programs. Hiʻipoi also serves as Program and Research Coordinator for Ke Kula Nui o Waimānalo, leading community-based research and initiatives that promote community well-being. Her work centers on empowering Hawaiian communities and strengthening ʻohana. She is a proud single mom to her two boys, Lucas and Leelan.

Ilima Ho-Lastimosa is an assistant specialist at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources in Tropical Plants and Soil Sciences and works with students of all ages. Her research studies center on food, medicine, and wholistic health, especially within the Hawaiian community. She is a strong proponent of food sovereignty and sustainability and is passionate about giving Pacific Island communities the tools, knowledge, and skills they need to grow food in their backyards. She has spent the last sixteen years teaching aquaponics technology. She is currently a PhD Student in Social Welfare at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Anita Hofschneider is a senior staff writer at Grist Magazine based in Honolulu. She is Chamorro from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and spent a decade reporting on local news in Hawaiʻi before joining Grist's Indigenous Affairs desk, where she covers the intersection of climate, the environment, and Indigenous peoples.

Carla J. Hostetter is the Director of Research and Evaluation Division at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs where she is responsible for overseeing research and evaluation activities relating primarily to OHA’s strategic plan focus areas of Hawaiian educational pathways, health outcomes, quality housing and economic stability. She also leads the agency’s research and data sharing collaborations to better understand the conditions and wellbeing of Hawaiian communities and to inform data-driven policy decisions. Hostetter has served the Hawaiian community for over 20 years through research, evaluation, and strategy work.

Janice Ikeda, a native of Hilo, Hawaiʻi, is the founding CEO of Vibrant Hawaiʻi. With a focus on resilience, Vibrant Hawaiʻi, under Janice's leadership, coordinates a network of resilience hubs and engages in community-based, participatory action research to empower residents and promote data justice to reshape societal paradigms and advance culturally relevant asset-based community development. Janice holds a master’s in organizational leadership, an honorary Doctor of Laws from Gonzaga University, is a Hawaiʻi Community Foundation Hoʻokele Award recipient, Omidyar Fellow, mother of five, and grandmother of two.

Puni is a dedicated advocate for aloha ʻāina, working to establish Hoʻoulu ʻĀina as a sanctuary for healing. Her efforts have supported Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island cultural practitioners, educators, and the broader Hawaiʻi community. As a member of the leadership team at Kōkua Kalihi Valley, she is committed to healing and reconciliation in Kalihi. Through her work with food and forest, lāʻau lapaʻau, native birth practices, indigenous evaluation, and community-centered health frameworks, Puni strengthens the vital role of connection to ʻāina in fostering mauliola for kanaka and honua.

Puuoneomakapuu is a Native Hawaiian wāhine rooted in kuleana and guided by aloha. A proud homesteader, with her ʻohana in Waimānalo, brings heart & hustle to every space she enters — from mobile medical outreach to the frontlines of community building. As a participant in Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo’s Wahine Research Summit, she continues to engage in community-based research that uplifts her lāhui through programs like Kū'ono'ono to uplift wahine through wholistic health/wellness, while leading efforts in economic development and resilience across her homestead. She contributes to community-driven research, grant development, and evaluation efforts — forging pathways where ʻŌiwi communities survive and thrive.

Kumu Hula Leialoha Ka'ula is an inspiring educator, motivating facilitator, and respected community leader who embodies the values of haʻahaʻa (humility), ʻohana (family), and aloha (love). These core values were instilled in her from a young age and continue to guide her in her life’s work. A proud graduate of Ke Kula ‘O Nawahiokalani’opu’u, Leialoha honors the legacy of her grandmother, a fluent speaker from the island of Niʻihau, and cherishes the Hawaiian language and cultural practices passed down to her through hula, oli, and ʻohana.

After pursuing higher education, Leialoha moved to the Pacific Northwest, where she continues to reside and raise her own ʻohana. In 2009, with the blessing of her family, she founded Hula Halau Ka Lei Haliʻa O Ka Lokelani (KLHOKL) in Aloha, Oregon, with a vision to empower future generations. Under her leadership, KLHOKL has awarded over $30,000 in educational scholarships and grants, making a lasting impact on the community.

Leialoha is also a founding member of Ka ʻAha Lahui o ʻOlekona Hawaiian Civic Club of Oregon and SW Washington (KALO), an organization established by Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaʻole over 100 years ago. In 2022, KALO appointed her as their founding Executive Director, making her the first staff member of the Hawaiian Civic Clubs in the region. She serves as a passionate advocate for the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture and the uplifting of Pacific Islanders’ voices. Leialoha is a board member of the Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition and plays an active role in the decolonization and revitalization of Indigenous communities.

Ka‘ohu Kawakami is an educator, advocate, and community organizer committed to strengthening systems of care and resilience for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. She currently serves as the Hawaiʻi Community Network Coordinator at Papa Ola Lōkahi, where she leads a statewide coalition focused on collective impact, strategic alignment, and community-driven solutions. Rooted in over a decade of research on the spiritual, political, and relational ʻike found in moʻolelo and kaʻao (traditional Hawaiian narratives), Kaʻohu brings cultural grounding to her work in policy, organizing, and communications. Her approach foregrounds the power of storytelling to shape health, justice, and futures rooted in aloha ʻāina and ea. She has also taught in the University of Hawaiʻi System since 2019, sharing moʻolelo as living texts that inform contemporary practice.

Kauilanuimakehaikalani Keali‘ikanaka‘oleohaililani was born and raised in Hawaiʻi. He is an Indigenous Hawaiʻi artist, designer, practitioner of Hawaiʻi life ways and māhū, steeped in the cultural practice of Hula ‘Aiha’a ritual, chant and dance through Hālau o Kekuhi (Dance School) for over 25 years. He is a member of Hui Mālama I Na ʻIwi Kūpuna o Hawaiʻi under the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, repatriating Native Hawaiian remains and funerary objects back to Hawaiʻi. Kauila is a steward of ritual and ceremony of global cultural exchange (Kīpaepae) and a ʻUniki Graduate of Unukupukupu under the direction of Dr. Taupouri Tangaro and Kekuhi Keali‘ikanaka‘oleohaililani. A Kiaʻi ʻĀina Aloha and has stood in the protection of Mauna a Wākea (2019-2021). Kauila graduated with an Associates degree in Hula from Hawaiʻi Community College, a Bachelors in Fine Arts from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and a Fashion Design degree from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. Employed as an Project Coordinator and Facilitator under Lonoa Honua, he is a steward and continuing learner of Hālau ʻŌhiʻa under the direction of Kekuhi Keali‘ikanaka‘oleohaililani - dedicated to connecting people, places, and energies in the universe to one another through Hawaiʻi Life ways.

Wendy Kekahio is a Strategy Consultant with Kamehameha Schools’ Strategy and Experience Group. She has nearly 20 years of research and analytic experience examining wellbeing among Indigenous populations within the educational sector. She has worked with educational institutions in Hawaiʻi and the U.S. affiliated and freely associated states throughout the Pacific. Wendy is a lead author of the comprehensive publication, Ka Huakaiʻi 2021: Native Hawaiian Educational Assessment, and has authored reports published by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Educational Sciences.

Dr. Claren Kealoha-Beaudet was born and raised on Kukuiau Ranch on the slopes of Mauna Kea. As a Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship recipient, she holds a M.A. in Systemic Family Therapy, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University. Nearly 15 years ago, the Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders Association conducted an assessment which identified the need for a Native Hawaiian Health Clinic in North Hawai’i. Dr. Kealoha- Beaudet immediately accepted this kuleana, establishing the Kīpuka o ke Ola (KOKO) Native Hawaiian Rural Health Clinic. KOKO's interdisciplinary health team offers primary care, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, traditional healing, case management, and care coordination.

Chantal Keli’iho’omalu, our Executive Director, brings nearly a decade of experience in native Hawaiian Homestead-based organizations, focusing on health, education, and culture. A licensed Social Worker with a Master’s from UH Mānoa, Chantal is dedicated to enhancing our community's wellbeing through programs that foster connectedness, resilience, and pride for future generations.

Senator Jarrett Keohokalole is a proud seventh-generation resident of the 24th Senate District, including Kāne‘ohe and Kailua. Senator Keohokalole serves on the Senate Leadership team as an Assistant Majority Whip. He is the Chair of the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee (CPN), which is responsible for business regulation, including insurance, banking, telecommunications, public utilities, licensing, and consumer protection. Senator Keohokalole also serves as a member of the Hawaiian Affairs Committee (HWN), the Transportation, Culture and the Arts Committee (TCA) and the Health and Human Services Committee (HHS) and is the Co-Chair of the Native Hawaiian Caucus.

Honest, hardworking, and heart; these three words perfectly describe 
Representative Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee Loy, for these are the values that have 
shaped her life.

Representative Keohokapu-Lee Loy was raised in Hilo, where she attended 
Waiākeawaena Elementary, Waiākea Intermediate, and Waiākea High School. 
She furthered her education at Hawai‘i Community College and the University 
of Hawai‘i at Hilo.

Elected to the Hawai‘i County Council in 2016, Representative Keohokapu-Lee 
Loy served the people of Hawai‘i Island as a Council Member for eight years 
with a strong commitment to the community, advocating for policies that 
support working families, education, and a healthy environment. Before her 
time in public office, she accumulated over 25 years of experience in land use 
development, environmental permits, and long-range community planning.
Representative Keohokapu-Lee Loy remains deeply dedicated to the people 
of Hawai‘i Island and continues to work toward a brighter future for all 
residents.

Recently elected to office in 2024, she currently serves as the Vice-Chair of 
the Committee on Health and is a member on the Committees on Finance 
and Health and Human Services

Jaclyn Kanilehua Kim, MSW, LSW, serves as the Native Hawaiian Affairs and Community Engagement lead at The Queen’s Health Systems, Native Hawaiian Health Department. With over a decade in healthcare, she has held roles in clinical coordination, community outreach, and as faculty in social work and public health. Deeply committed to Native Hawaiian wellbeing, she serves on the boards of the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce and Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā. Kanilehua holds degrees in sociology and social work and is pursuing her doctorate in Social Welfare. She enjoys traveling, time with ʻohana, hula, and ulana lauhala.

Jeannette G. Koijane, MPH is the Executive Director of Kōkua Mau, a movement to make conversations about improving care the norm, an organization she has worked with for over 19 years, beginning while she worked at the Executive Office on Aging. She received her graduate degree in Public Health from the University of Hawaii and her undergraduate degree from Cornell University. Jeannette has worked in the US Affiliated Pacific Islands helping to develop palliative care programs through a collaboration with the UH Cancer Center and John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Kaui Krueger is a proud kupa of Wailuku. He has studied under Hālau Hula Kauluokala for 23 years. He joined the Hui in 2018 as a Coordinator for the Kūaʻuaʻu Traditional Healing providing support, advocacy, and technical assistance to that department. His favorite part about his kuleana is collaborating with the community to help address all health aspects of our Native people. Kaui loves his ‘ohana, Hawaiian music and ‘ono food.

Born and raised in Kailua, O’ahu (Hawai‘i), Brandon now resides with his wife and three young children in Kapolei. A graduate of the public school system, he went on to earn a MA and PhD in Anthropology at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. As a Principal Strategist in Kamehameha Schools’ Strategy and Experience group, Brandon blends ‘ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) intelligence, systems thinking and foresight to strengthen and advance our lāhui (Native Hawaiian community). He is passionate about culture- and ‘āina-based (land-based) education as well as indigenous approaches to research and evaluation. Brandon relies on his ‘ohana (family), surfing, and music for joy and inspiration.

Pālama joined Lili'uokalani Trust in 2011 and has a MSW and a PhD in Social Welfare. He serves on several initiatives to protect and promote Native Hawaiian community health for kāne (Kū Ola), the elderly (Hā Kūpuna), individuals experiencing behavioral health recovery (Culture and Addictions Advisory Council), and keiki in foster care as a licensed resource caregiver.

As a Kanaka pharmacist, founder of Mauliola Pharmacy, and a Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship recipient, Dr. Cory Lehano has dedicated his career to integrating modern medicine and culturally-grounded care. Since its opening, Mauliola Pharmacy has become a trusted health partner across Maui, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi - offering not just prescriptions, but locally-tailored education, home care, and more. Through Nohona Health, the pharmacy's nonprofit sister organization, Dr. Lehano and team are nurturing the next generation of community healers by blending traditional wisdom with hands-on learning at Hoʻōla, their farm in Waikapū, and through their Kilohana Mālama ʻĀina Academy for at-risk youth.

Dr. Jodi Leslie Matsuo holds a MPH in Maternal & Child Health and Public Health Nutrition, and her DrPH in Community-Based and Translational Research. As a Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship recipient, she has been practicing as a registered dietitian for over 15 years. Dr. Matsuo has worked in a number of clinical, private, non-profit, and academic settings before co-founding the Kukui Lifestyle Medicine Clinic alongside her
husband Dr. Leon Matsuo. She has been privileged to be mentored by Dr. Claire Hughes in Native Hawaiian nutrition and health. In her free time, Dr. Matsuo enjoys spending time outdoors and with family.

Charlene Lui serves as the Executive Director of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME). She holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and has completed doctoral coursework in multicultural education and English as a Second Language. Charlene began her career in education as a high school teacher and later worked in a private school setting. In 1996, she joined the Granite School District, where she held several administrative leadership roles. She went on to serve as the Director of Educational Equity in Granite School District for 20 years before retiring in July 2021. In addition to her leadership work, Charlene is an adjunct instructor at Salt Lake Community College and the owner of Lui Educational Consulting. 

A passionate advocate for equity, social justice, and multicultural education, Charlene has received numerous awards for her contributions to education and human rights, including: Exemplary Educator for Diversity Award (2005), Cesar Chavez Peace and Social Justice Award (2011), Martin Luther King Drum Major Award (2013), MLK Humanitarian Award from Salt Lake Community College (2014), Human Rights Award from the Utah School Counselors Association (2014), and the OCA Lifetime Achievement Award (2023).  

Charlene has held numerous leadership and advisory roles. She currently serves as a national board member of ACLU representing Utah. She is also actively involved with several Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) organizations in Utah and serves on the Mainland Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs. 

One of Charlene’s favorite educational quotes is by Mary Kawena Pukui: “A‘ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka hālau ho‘okahi.” (All knowledge is not learned in just one school. [One can learn from many sources.]) 

Dr. Leon Matsuo was born and raised in Kealakekua. As a Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship recipient, he holds a MS in Physiology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and a MD from the John A. Burns School of Medicine. After completing residency in Combined Internal Medicine & Pediatrics in Arizona, Dr. Matsuo returned to Kona to serve community through the West Hawai'i Community Health Center. He has since cofounded the Kukui Lifestyle Medicine Clinic with his wife, Dr. Jodi Matsuo, practicing lifestyle medicine and primary care. He enjoys spending time with family, attending church, yard work, exercising, and traveling.

In her nonprofit career, Angelina has worked to address the root causes of poverty and trauma in the lives of women and children, first as a volunteer for Wāhine Moving Forward, a financial literacy program for survivors of domestic violence, then as the Director of Advancement for Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network, a movement for children. As the Executive Director of Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, she is a fierce advocate for survivors, domestic violence programs, and their staff.

Angelina currently serves on the board of the National Network to End Domestic Violence and as the Co-Chair of the Hawai‘i Women’s Coalition, a statewide network of organizations and individuals working to advance legislation on gender issues. She has also served on the Community Advisory Board of Hawai‘i Public Radio and the Board of Directors of the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi. She was also the Vice President of Communications and then Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force for the Junior League of Honolulu.

Prior to moving to Hawaiʻi, Angelina was a Vice President in the Global Funding Group at RBC Capital Markets in New York. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Connecticut College.

An animal lover, Angelina’s family in Hawai‘i includes her rescue pets Xoe and Biscuit-Rose.

Dr. Jamee Māhealani Miller is a visionary leader and advocate advancing justice reform for Native Hawaiian communities through culture, ʻohana, and systemic change. As co-founder of ʻEkolu Mea Nui, she leads efforts to redefine reentry, reduce incarceration, and promote healing through workforce training, cultural reconnection, and community reintegration. She also spearheads Hui Hoʻiwai, uniting partners to break intergenerational incarceration cycles. A licensed social worker and experienced executive, she has served in key roles at Kamehameha Schools, Liliʻuokalani Trust, and Hawaiʻi Entertainment Productions. Deeply rooted in ʻāina and ʻohana, Dr. Miller continues to push boundaries, ensuring that every step forward in her work strengthens the future of Native Hawaiians, families, and communities across Hawaiʻi.

Kim is a fierce advocate, peer supporter, and parent leader who uses her lived experience to create pathways of hope and healing for ʻohana across Hawaiʻi and beyond. A survivor of domestic violence and a mother who navigated the child welfare system as a young parent, Kim’s journey includes overcoming incarceration, homelessness and substance use. Today, her story is one of resilience, restoration and empowering others.  

Kim is a Parent Partner and Makua Ally with EPIC ʻOhana where she supports families currently involved in the child welfare system. She helps parents understand their rights, connect with services, and build the confidence needed to reunify with their children. As a Makua Ally, Kim works alongside pregnant women with perinatal substance use challenges, linking them to health care and community support to ensure better outcomes for both mothers and babies. 

She holds an Associate of Arts degree in Human Services/Pre-Social Work and has completed a Substance Abuse Counseling practicum. 

Kim is not only a service provider but also a powerful policy advocate. She serves on several local and national platforms, including Nā Kama a Hāloa, Birth Parent National Network, Children’s Trust Fund Alliance and the Casey Family Program’s Birth Parent Advisory Committee. As a Parent Leader for the Safe Babies initiative by ZERO TO THREE, Kim brings the voices of families with lived experience into national conversations about practice and policy reform. 

Guided by empathy and her own journey, Kim leads with the belief that every parent deserves the opportunity to heal, grow and thrive—and that ʻohana are strongest when they are supported, not separated. 

Born and raised in Waiʻanae and Pālolo, Oʻahu, Kailene attended the University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu where she earned her B.A. in Humanities - Hawaiian Pacific Studies. Kailene then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University. Throughout the years she has worked for various non-profit and Native Hawaiian organizations, participated as a guest trainer and presenter for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on Violence Prevention issues and Pacific Islander Youth Migration and Adaption, sat on the Ka Waihona o Ka Naʻauao and the Statewide Charter School Boards and other various Committees throughout the State working with children, youth and family prevention and intervention services; and was a Child Welfare Services (CWS) Case Manager before joining the EPIC `Ohana Inc. Family Wrap Hawaiʻi Team in 2018. Kailene became the EPIC ‘Ohana Nā Kama a Hāloa Manager at the end of 2023 where she is able to integrate her background in Native Hawaiian / Pacific Island Studies and Social Work to help lead community partners in collaborating to decrease the disproportionality of Native Hawaiian children and families in the CWS system by putting Native Hawaiian values, practices, and pilina (relationship building) at the forefront of it all.

Kaiulani Odom has been involved in the area of indigenous health for over 35 years. Her specialty is in `Ai Kupele, nutrition from a cultural perspective.  It is her goal to support communities of Hawaiʻi to connect with the `ike and practices passed down by their ancestors, fostering healthy lifestyles for future generations.  

She was the first Director of the Roots Program at Kokua Kalihi Valley. Under her direction the program grew to establish two community gardens, a cultural food hub, a café, family health programs, birthing programs,  culinary education, and community engagement. Centering around food as a source of nourishment, identity, and connection, project activities built bonds between community members as they cultivated food and medicine, cooked together, shared traditional practices for food preparation, and ate together in common spaces.

She is currently the Executive Director of Hawaii Good Food Alliance, whose members work for a thriving, sustainable food system. Alliance organizations span five of the eight islands and represent a spectrum of skills and knowledge.  From farmers to food hubs to health care, we use our collaborative strengths to bring about equity, justice and well-being.

When it comes to the health of our land and our people, we move forward by looking back and honoring our elders, traditions and culture.

​​​​​​​Kelsie Okamura (she/her) is an Implementation Researcher at the Baker Center for Children and Families, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Okamura is passionate about community-based participatory research, particularly (a) youth- and community-led implementation science, (b) clinician knowledge formation, (c) quality improvement initiatives that bridge team-based technology, and (d) financial strategies to improve implementation. As a fourth-generation daughter of Japanese and Okinawan immigrants to Hawaiʻi, Dr. Okamura has a deep appreciation of understanding diversity, culture, and contexts as they apply to youth mental health implementation. Growing up in a rural town in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi has afforded her insight into the complexities of socioeconomic and cultural barriers that may impede successful implementation of youth psychosocial interventions.

Mary Frances Mailelaulii Oneha has worked in community health centers for over 30 years and has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Waimānalo Health Center since 2012. Her experience at community health centers, serving over 50% Native Hawaiians, has aligned with her commitment to improve the health of Native Hawaiians. She supports the perpetuation of Native Hawaiian cultural practices and the implementation of food as medicine. Dr. Oneha serves on the Boards of  AlohaCare, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations.  She received her PhD in Nursing from the University of Colorado, a Master of Nursing from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Hawai`i.

As a Native Hawaiian, Dr. Opunui functions as a naturopathic physician that weaves the traditional views of Hawaiian health with the scientific understanding of plants and the human body by integrating traditional, natural and modern medicine to restore health. Dr. Opunui is the medical director of Nā Puʻuwai and is the first naturopathic physician in history to be appointed medical director of a federally funded Native Hawaiian Health Care System where his team has designed an innovative Native Hawaiian Integrative Health Center that provides culturally responsive, interdisciplinary health services, programs and resources to the rural island communities of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. 

Dr. Neal Palafox is a physician specializing in family medicine. His work centers on improving health capacity and health policy toward reducing health disparities in the populations of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the other U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Island (USAPI) jurisdictions, including: the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the
Federated States of Micronesia. Dr. Palafox's work takes a community-based, participatory approach. With over 40 years' experience, he is also a Professor at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center and John A. Burns School of Medicine.

​​​​​​​Tessa Palafu (she/her) is a Senior Implementation Research Assistant at The Baker Center for Children and Families, Implementation Research Division. Tessa grew up in Hawaiʻi and recently graduated from Hawaiʻi Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science. Her research interests include understanding Historical Trauma in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations and developing culturally grounded approaches to mental health services for NHPI. Tessa has worked on a variety of research projects related to examining the relationship between houselessness, historical trauma, and perceived stress in NHPI youth, understanding predictors of measurement-based care use for clinicians, and looking at barriers and facilitators to implementing a substance use prevention program within a school district. She is excited to continue her work at the Baker Center and support ongoing quality improvement initiatives.

Thaddeus Pham, MPH (he/him) has been the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator for the Hawaii State Department of Health in the Harm Reduction Services Branch since 2011. He is also co-Founder and co-Director of the Hep Free Hawaiʻi Coalition, which coordinates Hep Free 2030, Hawaiʻi’s Hepatitis Elimination initiative (www.hepfreehawaii.org). He received his Master of Public Health as a Bloomberg Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He approaches public health from a social justice perspective and seeks to enhance community partnerships and systems-level policy changes to address health disparities, regardless of disease state.

Dr. Ngoc Phan is a social scientist and Associate Professor at Hawai‘i Pacific University whose research explores how civic engagement and emotions influence collective action, political behavior, and health. She specializes in American Politics, Political Psychology, and Race and Ethnicity. Dr. Phan leads community-based research with Dr. Lynette Cruz, including the 2019 Native Hawaiian Survey, 2022 Healthy Hawaiian Project, and 2023 Hawaiian Activist Project.

Rachel Pokipala is a Native Hawaiian registered nurse and Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship recipient, born and raised in California. Upon graduating with her Master of Science in Nursing from the Western University of Health Sciences, Rachel elected to serve the community of Kīhei, Maui through the Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center. Still at the center, Rachel specializes in obstetrics and gynecology.

Dawn Rego-Yee (she/her/wahine) was born and raised in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island and identifies as wahine Hawaiʻi, mother, hula learner and social justice worker. She is the Resilient Communities, Schools and Families Project Director at Ceeds of Peace and is excited to support and center our partner schools and communities in this transformational work. She received a Masters in Social Work degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Matsunaga Institute. Dawn is a facilitator, trainer and consultant on equity, social justice, trauma informed practice and Native Hawaiian wellbeing. She believes in our pilina (relationship) to ʻāina, environment and each other to support healthy and thriving ʻohana and communities. 

Kalauʻihilani is a proud grandmother, mother and educator dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of ʻōlelo and moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi. He kupu ʻo ia i ka ʻāina ʻili ʻo Niuhelewai, Oʻahu. She now resides on ka ʻāina hoʻopulapula o Waiʻanae, where she raised her ʻohana, nestled in the embrace of the Kaʻala mountains, i ka malu o Kamaileʻunu.

With 28 years of experience in Hawaiian Culture-Based Education, Kalauʻihilani now serves as a Hawaiian Language and Culture teacher at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. She holds degrees in Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian Studies, and Curriculum Studies (STEMS²) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her work centers on developing curriculum grounded in ʻike kūpuna, cultivating learning environments that honor ancestral knowledge and ensure the continued presence of Hawaiian language and traditions.

Melonie Leihua (Villanueva) Stewart, a Kūʻau Maui native, is E Ala E Hawaiian Cultural Center’s (EHCC) Co-Founder and Vice Chair. With an unwavering commitment to preserving and perpetuating Kānaka Maoli culture, Leihua's leadership is shaped by EHCC's mission to educate, engage, and connect with the communities near and far. In addition to her role at EHCC, Leihua is a Technology & Engineering Educator at Meade Senior High School. Her dedication to education extends beyond the classroom, as she also assumes the roles of Head Volleyball Coach and Athletic Leadership Committee (ALC) Coach. Through these diverse roles, she fosters growth, empowerment, and leadership development among her scholars. Leihua holds a master's degree in education | Curriculum Studies: STEMS² (social science and sense of place) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a bachelor's degree in organizational management from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. She leverages her educational background to provide enriching opportunities that showcase the vibrancy of Kānaka. A devoted servant leader, Leihua served as the President of the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association – East Coast Region and remains a lifetime member. Her advocacy for educational initiatives that uplift and inspire the community's youth reflects her commitment to empowerment and cultural preservation. In her personal life, Leihua finds joy in spending time with her 'ohana in Maryland, including her mother, Diane Ululani Garcia, and her husband of 35 years, Harold Edmonds Stewart, Jr. Together, they nurture a loving family and are proud parents to five children: Jonah Ke Ali’i Kona Stewart (26), Victoria Naleialoha Stewart(23), Kalia Ka’iulani Kaiona Stewart(21), Adara Leialoha Stewart(12), and Micah Makanaokekaiohawai’i Stewart(10). Inspired by the concept of nā keiki o ka ‘aina (the children of the land), Leihua is driven by a belief that they are the future and deserve every opportunity to live a culturally connected and impactful life. 

Dr. Jasmine Waipa was born and raised in Hawaiʻi, and returned home after completing her pediatric training in California as a Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship recipient. Now the owner of Keānuenue Pediatrics in Honolulu, she has worked as a pediatrician for more than 10 years and loves working with families. Dr. Waipa received her MD at Stanford University, and trained in her specialty of pediatrics at Stanford’s Lucile Packard
Children’s Hospital, learning from world-renowned pediatricians. Dr. Waipa has a daughter who is five years old, and who she says has taught her more than all her years of clinical training.

Dr. Nathan Wong is a retired physician from Kaiser Permanente who currently serves on the Native Hawaiian Community Advisory Board at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center. He received his MD from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) in the school's first graduating class, alongside just four other Native Hawaiians. During his career, Dr. Wong also served as the Medical Director of the Kamehameha Schools system. Now in retirement after 35 years, he serves as an Advisory Board Member on JABSOM's ʻImi Hoʻōla program. Dr. Wong has also served as a Medical Officer aboard the Hōkūleʻa canoe.

Helen Wong Smith is an American archivist and librarian. She is the archivist and librarian for University Records at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She works in the University Archives and Manuscripts Collection of the Public Services Division. She is formerly an Archivist and Librarian for the State Historic Preservation Division as well as the executive director of the Kauaʻi Historical Society. Smith is an active member of the Society of American Archivists, becoming president in 2023, and having served in many leadership roles including on the council, the Committee on Education, and the Nominating Committee from 2012 to 2014. Smith was named an SAA Fellow on June 10, 2016.

Hope Young is the Advance Care Planning Coordinator for Kōkua Mau, providing community awareness and coordinates the Let’s Talk Story Program for the Speakers Bureau. Hope joined Kōkua Mau in 2017 under a generous grant from the Stupski Foundation. Hope received her B.A. from UH West Oahu in Public Administration with a concentration in Health Care Administration. Hope started in the health care field as a Certified Nurse Aide in a dementia unit and later moved on to manage a home care agency. She has enjoyed working in various capacities with seniors and the caregiving community for over 21 years. 

Dr. Patricia Young is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and lead for the Biomedical Engineering Program at Hawai‘i Pacific University. Her research focuses on understanding balance and stability, particularly as they relate to falls and fall prevention.