Announcing the Women Leaders of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance Cohort 7

Honolulu, HI – The Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance, the only program in Hawai‘i designed to enable mid-career women to advance their management and leadership skills, has named 21 women leaders to its seventh cohort, starting on August 25.

“I am thrilled to welcome 21 outstanding women leaders to the seventh Leadership Alliance cohort,” said Colleen McAluney, Director of the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership. “It is especially important for us as a community to lift the rising women leaders who represent tomorrow’s future, and we continue to be extremely grateful to our generous supporters who believe in the Mink Leader program.”

The following women have been selected for the 2022 -2023 Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance:

  • Shannon Alivado (Director of Government Relations, Hawaiian Electric)

  • Kauʻilani Arce (Program Manager, Liliʻuokalani Trust)

  • Amy Arfman (Deputy Commander, Hawaii Air National Guard)

  • Cynthia Flower (Assistant Vice President & Controller, Finance Insurance LLC)

  • Samantha Gabriel (AVP & Compliance Officer, First Hawaiian Bank)

  • Mara Garcia (K-12 Wellness Director, St. Andrew's Schools)

  • Alicia Griep (Sr. Manager Retail Operations, Tori Richard)

  • Kimberly Haruki (Vice President - Director of Brand and Communications, Central Pacific Bank)

  • Nicole Johnson (Lead Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton)

  • Katie Kaahanui (Program Manager, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii)

  • Nalani Kealaiki (Community Strategist, Kamehameha Schools)

  • Lana Murakami (Director, Customer Support Services, American Savings Bank)

  • Jacqueline Ng-Osorio (Owner/Principal Consultant, Ng-Osorio Consulting)

  • Ngoc Nguyen (Director of Strategic Finance, Hawaiian Telcom)

  • Makana Reilly (Director of Work-Based Learning, Kauaʻi Economic Development Board (KEDB)

  • Di Salas (Brand & Communications Strategist, Hawaii Dental Service)

  • Karesse Sato (Product Development Manager, Aloha Pacific FCU)

  • Cheri Souza (Hawaiʻi Postsecondary Success Program Officer, Stupski Foundation)

  • Robyn Tanaka (SVP, Director Retail Credit Risk, Bank of Hawaii)

  • Meeta Vu (Co Founder, Hub Coworking Hawaiʻi)

  • Julie Yunker (Director of Sustainability Government & Community Relations, Hawaii Gas)

To date, 129 Mink Leaders from diverse fields and industries, including finance, healthcare, technology, law, education, construction, small business and nonprofit, have graduated from the program. This year’s group of Mink Leaders is eager to take part in learning more about topics such as Financial Business Acumen; Community & Civic Impact; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Power of Persuasion, and Strategic Planning. Participants will benefit from valuable expertise offered throughout the program by prominent women leaders and facilitators. The curriculum also includes a community project that allows the cohort to contribute to YWCA Oʻahu’s mission of empowering women.

“We are honored to help support the work of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance,” said David Tumilowicz, Senior Director of Marketing and Community Health for Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. “Providing training helps develop our next generation of leaders and builds economic opportunity for our entire community.”

The Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance began in September 2016 and is a 10-month program designed for emerging women leaders who are committed to personal growth, professional impact, and community change. This program further develops management and leadership skills in an effort to increase the representation of women executives in Hawai‘i. Through almost 100 hours of facilitated sessions, the cohort will have the opportunity to engage directly with established business professionals and build alliances with fellow Mink Leaders. Participants are chosen through a competitive application process and are required to attend 18 out of the 20 program sessions in order to graduate in May 2023. The program is offered by the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership, at YWCA O‘ahu.

The program was named in honor of the late Patsy T. Mink, who was both the first Asian-American woman and the first woman from Hawai‘i to serve in the U.S. Congress. She was renowned for her commitment to proactive leadership and women’s advocacy.

For more information about the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance, visit www.mcblhawaii.org/minkleaders.

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