Announcing Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance Cohort 6 Mink Leaders

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 17 women leaders to its sixth cohort, starting on August 27.

“We are thrilled to announce the final selection for the 6th cohort of the Leadership Alliance,” said Colleen McAluney, Director of the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership. “It is especially important for us as a community to continue lifting our emerging women leaders during these challenging times and we are so grateful to our generous supporters who trust in the Mink Leader program.”

The following women have been selected for the 2021-2022 Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance:

• Poki'i Balaz (Director of Nursing and Home Operations, Lunalilo Home)

• Aimee Curre (Assistant Vice President, Senior Planning Manager, Bank of Hawaii)

• Lori Fukumae (Vice President & Director of Membership Development, Hawaii Employers Council)

• Kellye Greco (Associate Principal, Sr. Interior Designer, G70)

• Teresa Hamabata (Commercial Banking Officer II, American Savings Bank)

• Caroline Ishida (Chief Counsel, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission)

• Regina Komine (Commander, 154th Mission Support Group, Hawaii Air National Guard)

• Michelle Lansel (Chief Technologist, Booz Allen Hamilton)

• Loretta Lubera (Director, Consumer Product Strategy, Hawaiian Telcom)

• Rebekah Mraz (Director of West Hawaii Programs – Kona Administration, Child & Family Service)

• Daphne Okunaga (International Business and Design Academy Lead Teacher, Pearl City High School)

• Meagan Oppenheim (Regional Manager, Alexander & Baldwin)

• Rachelle Ouye (Project Manager & Marketing Coordinator, Sae Design Group)

• Anne Weber-Yarbrough (Senior Program Management, Honeywell Smart Energy)

• Natalie Werts (Area Manager & Banking Center Manager, First Hawaiian Bank)

• Laura Yamamoto (VP & Senior Private Banking Officer, Central Pacific Bank)

• Jadyne Yomono (Strategic Account Manager, ProService Hawaii)

To date, 91 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 Building Agility & Innovation for the Next Normal; Emotional Intelligence; 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 O‘ahu’s mission of empowering women.

“We are honored to help support the work of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance,” said David Tumilowicz, Hawaii Market Senior Director of Marketing and Community Health for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. “Providing training helps develop leadership and business acumen for the individuals selected and helps create 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 2022. 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.

REGISTRATION Open and Financial Assistance Available: “Girls Summit Youth” Builds Self-Esteem, Creativity and Awareness for Middle Schoolers

HONOLULU, HI — “Girls Summit Youth,” an enriching, fun summer program that builds critical and creative thinking, decision-making skills, and empowered confidence for girls in grades 6-8, is accepting applications for sessions in July and August. Registration is open at www.mcblhawaii.org/girls-summityouth Girls Summit Youth has been hosted annually by the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership (MCBL) since 2018.

The weeklong program curriculum features yoga, creative reading and writing, self-defense, CPR education, financial management tips, advocacy exploration and a Community Focused Project. The cost to attend Girls Summit Youth is $200 per child. Financial assistance is still available, with up to 75% of the tuition for those families who can demonstrate need. The program wants to provide all girls the opportunity to participate in the summer program. Requirements to qualify for financial aid are noted on the Girls Summit Youth registration page.

This year’s (4) weeklong sessions will be held at Kokokahi, YWCA Oahu’s beautiful 11-acre waterfront site in Kāne‘ohe (45-035 Kāne‘ohe Bay Drive). Activities will run 8 a.m.-5 p.m, Monday-Friday. Participants and program personnel will be following the latest COVID-19 government guidelines regarding masks, group gatherings and social distancing.

ON THE WEB: www.mcblhawaii.org/girls-summityouth
Interested participants can select from the following dates to attend:
• Week 1: July 12-16
• Week 2: July 19-23
• Week 3: July 26-30
• Week 4: August 2-6

“At YWCA O‘ahu and the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership, we believe there is an opportunity as well as a responsibility to nurture girls of all ages to become the leaders of tomorrow,” said MCBL director Colleen McAluney. “Middle school can be a challenging social passage, and we are committed to providing the young women of Hawai‘i with the tools not just to survive, but to thrive. Girls Summit Youth explores the themes of sense of self, sense of place, inner power and creativity all through the lens of the Hawaiian cultural values of Aloha, building self-awareness and confidence.”

Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance Announces Fifth Cohort of Hawaii Women Leaders

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 15 women leaders to its fifth cohort, starting on August 21.

“We are thrilled to announce the final selection for the 5th Anniversary cohort of the Leadership Alliance,” said Colleen McAluney, Director of the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership. “It is especially important to continue lifting our emerging women leaders and we are so grateful to our generous supporters who trust in the Mink Leader program.”

The following women have been selected for the 2020-2021 Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance:

• Gail Abrena-Agas (Commercial Property Manager, Alexander & Baldwin)

• Elizabeth Carlson (Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer, VP, Bank of Hawaii)

• Loretta Chen (Business Development Advisor, UH-Leeward CC)

• Chrystal Dart (Co-Founder, Navigate Consulting LLC)

• Deanna D'Olier (Associate Director, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools)

• Nadia Fairlamb (Professional Artist, Nadia Fairlamb Art)

• Claire Fukuoka (Project Manager, Austin, Tsutsumi & Associates, Inc.)

• Kristi Hatanaka (Controller, HEMIC)

• Shelly Kamakura (AVP, Relationship Banking Program Manager, Central Pacific Bank)

• Liane Khim (VP, Commercial Banking Officer, American Savings Bank)

• Kolia Moua (Operations Leader, Honeywell)

• Gwen Navarrete Klapperich (Chief Learning Consultant/Owner, Klapperich International Training Associates)

• Carolina Rivadeneyra-Enriquez (Senior Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton)

• Angeline Smith (AVP, Branch Manager, First Hawaiian Bank)

• Thao Tran (Sr. Associate General Counsel, Legal Division, Hawaiian Electric Company)

To date, 76 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 Emotional Intelligence, Design Thinking, Principles of Negotiation, 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 O‘ahu’s mission of empowering women.

“Kaiser Permanente is proud to support the work of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance,” said Maria Borje-Bonkowski, regional compliance officer of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. “Providing training develops leadership and business acumen for the women selected and creates 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 21 program sessions in order to graduate in May 2021. The program is offered by the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership, a department of 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.

The Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership Announces Cohort 4 Members

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 20 participants to its fourth cohort, starting on August 16.

“We’re so pleased to announce our upcoming cohort of future Mink Leaders,” said Terri Funakoshi, Director of the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership. “The program has grown tremendously thanks to our many wonderful supporters who have embraced our efforts to help women grow, both professionally and personally.”

The following women have been selected for the 2019-2020 Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance:

·         Danielle Bass (State Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Planning, State of Hawaii)

·         Shauna Cabel (Human Resources-Organizational Development, Bank of Hawaii)

·         Kristina Cook (Community Development Specialist, Microsoft)

·         Patti Cristobal (VP & Region Manager-West Oahu Region, Central Pacific Bank)

·         Michelle Devol (Director, Membership Administration & Quoting Service, Kaiser Permanente)

·         Lauren Esposo (Client Services Manager, UHA Health Insurance)

·         Teresa “Teri” Fabry (Senior Project Manager, Island Insurance Company)

·         Julia Fink (Director of Operations, Ho’ola Na Pua)

·         Rachel Fukumoto (Energy Advantage Program Lead, Hawaii Energy-Leidos)

·         Nina Horioka (Associate Director of Development, UH Foundation-Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii)

·         Kelsey Ige (Creative Director, Hawaii Business Magazine)

·         Karin Kimura (Principal Environmental Scientist-Air Quality & Noise Dept., Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.)

·         Christina Klemme (Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Grace Pacific LLC)

·         Donna Mendes (AVP Personal Banking Officer and Sales Manager, First Hawaiian Bank)

·         Courtney Ro (Owner, Professional Business Concepts)

·         Katrina Sabido (Manager-Deposit and Loan Products, American Savings Bank)

·         Kaohinani Schipa Chow (President & CEO, Buck Roofing Company, Inc.)

·         Victoria Suarez (Business Impact Manager, ENGIE Services U.S., Inc.)

·         Elyse Takashige (Project Architect, WhiteSpace Architects)

·         Kara Warsh (Associate, Morgan Stanley)

To date, 56 Mink Leaders from diverse fields and industries, including banking, healthcare, technology, law, education, small business and nonprofit, have graduated the program. This year’s group of Mink Leaders is eager to take part in learning more about topics such as Emotional Intelligence, Design Thinking, Principles of Negotiation, 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 O‘ahu’s mission of empowering women.

“Kaiser Permanente is proud to support the work of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance,” said Jean Melnikoff, vice president of Human Resources Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. “Providing training develops leadership and business acumen for the women selected and creates 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 16 out of the 19 program sessions in order to graduate in May 2020. The program is offered by the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership, a department of 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.