Our Punawai (Board)
Coreen Williams
President
Coreen Willliams is a Hau'ula native, fondly known by her online persona NEENA LOVE. She is a very proud Pacific Islander and credits her success to her strong cultural values. Coreen is a graduate of Kahuku High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from American Public University. She has spent most of her career, 20+ years, as an Administrator in both the corporate world and in a university setting. Her expertise is in legal and policy compliance, managing budgets, and setting up standard operating procedures.
Haulani Kaleoaloha
Vice President
Haulani holds a degree from the College of Education, Counseling & Guidance Department with a concentration on Community Counseling from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and is currently completing her second degree in the College of Education, Education Administration program. She is a wife, mother, and ʻAma to her beautiful moʻopuna (s). She has worked in, with, and alongside her community and communities across the paeʻāina in a personal and professional capacity. She loves the outdoors and finds comfort in the kai (ocean) but she loves her ʻohana even more. She enjoys helping others see their full potential and strives to build up her lāhui, one kanaka at a time.
Leimamo Keanini
Treasurer
Leimamo has over ten years of experience teaching in secondary education and currently instructs ninth-grade English at Farrington High School in the Health Academy. Additionally, she serves as the Health Academy Lead, where she collaborates with health organizations and post-secondary institutions to enhance the curriculum for students pursuing a career in the medical field. Leimamo is a 2018-2020 Hollyhock Fellow for the Center to Support Excellence in Teaching at Stanford University. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English and Sociology, as well as a Master's degree in English with a focus on Asian and Pacific Island Literature. Leimamo is passionate about incorporating local and Hawaiian literature into her classroom to allow her students to identify themselves within the stories they read.
Kristina Lacno
Secretary
Kristina Lacno practices massage on the island of Molokai. She was born and raised on the island of O'ahu, where she completed massage school. Her love for learning eventually led her to take classes in different massage modalities like Sports Massage, Lomilomi, Lomi 'Ae, Cupping, Sarga, and more. Kristina hopes to one day help elevate others in health and personal development using some of the skills and knowledge she has learned on her journey.
Kiani Wong
Board Member
Kiani Wong is the Co-Founder of Kaka'ako Kasuals and Ki'ikau Printers, Native-Hawaiian owned and operated businesses. Kiani grew up in Makiki, on the island of O'ahu and graduated from 'Iolani School. She holds a BA from the University of New Mexico and an MBA from Missouri State University. After returning to Hawai'i in 2016 to be closer to her 'ohana, she now operates her family run businesses in the Kaka'ako area.
Ileana Ruelas
Board Member
Welina mai kākou, mahalo nui for sharing this soace with me to kākoʻo kaiāulu.
I was raised in the moku o Waiʻanae in an intergenerational kauhale near Tumbleland in Maili. I grew up spending time with my maternal great grandmother, grandparents & grandaunt - making leis, playing music & dancing in backyard jam sessions, hiphop dance battles between cousins, sunset swim sessions & mālama aina.
My work currently supports consulting with ʻāina & hawaiian culture based education organizations such as Kuhiawaho, Ulu Ae Learning Center, & Hui o Hoohonua.
In my most recent role, I served as the Equity & Access Project Manager at Elemental Excelerator, a global nonprofit climate tech investor. I worked collectively to support the elevation of Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) centered business practices for the strategic development, management, and evaluation of processes within climate change technology entrepreneurs/start up communities.
Prior to this work, I supported resource and strategy management towards optimizing community leadership, voice, & outcomes in education and workforce development, at employers such as Kamehameha Schools, the University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaiinuiiakea - School of Hawaiian Knowledge, and the Institute of Native Pacific Education and Culture.