Meet Our Team
Leialoha Ka‘ula
Luna Hoʻokō | Executive Director
Aloha kākou! ʻO wau no ʻo Leialoha Kaʻula a he kama au ʻo ka pae ʻāina ʻoi kelakela ʻo Hawaiʻi. Born on the island of Oʻahu, raised on Moku O Keawe, and now humbly appreciates the lands of the Atfalati tribes in hopes to uplift their stories and community. As a hula practitioner, cultural practices and the stories of our ancestors is the foundation of all that we do. These practices and protocols that have been instilled since a young age continues to guide me each and every day. As a proud graduate of Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi surrounds all that we do and has allowed for me to carry what has been taught to me here in the Pacific Northwest. In 1918, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaʻole founded the Honolulu Hawaiian Civic Club with a vision to engage our lāhui in the need to be civically involved in matters that impact our community. Today, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs is home to over 60 chartered clubs that stretches across Hawaiʻi and Moku Honu (Turtle Island). Ka ʻAha Lahui O ʻOlekona or KALO is one of those proud organizations with a mission and a vision to carry out the work of our Prince. Living in diaspora is a challenge that so many of us are faced with and donʻt have the tools to navigate when it comes to how we can make an impact here in the Pacific Northwest. Our Aliʻi were world travelers - navigators! Here at KALO, my goal is to establish, grow, and maintain relationships within our communities here on the continent and in Hawaiʻi to insure our lāhui, ʻohana from Hawaiʻi, and our Pacific Island communities feel uplifted, seen, and heard. WE are the IMPACT and the CHANGE for we are ALOHA. - Maikaʻi ke kalo i ka ʻohā!
Hale Kahua (Operations)
Isabel Steinhoff
Luna Hana
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On paper, my kuleana is to ensure that all operational needs are met and that day-to-day operations run smoothly and efficiently. In addition to that, as a Native Hawaiian living away from home, I understand how important it is to have a place that feels connected to Hawaiʻi. I grew up in the small town of North Kohala, where I learned the value of community and what it truly feels like to be supported by one. My community is my why. I carry a deep sense of pride in where I come from and in the people, culture, and experiences that have shaped who I am. I’m fortunate to help create that sense of connection and belonging for others in our community here on the continent through working for KALO. With my background in event planning and organizing, I support the teams who create opportunities for our community to gather, build relationships, and feel connected to home. While much of my work happens behind the scenes, I see each operational detail as part of something much larger. My kuleana may start with operations, but ultimately is about supporting our lāhui.
Operations Manager
Hale Ka‘a‘ike (Communications)
Jayden Kepo‘o-Caspino
Luna Hoʻokūkulu Hoʻolaha
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As a Native Hawaiian visual storyteller born and raised in Waiʻanae, my kuleana is to uplift the resilience, ʻike, and impact of the Native Hawaiian communities living across the continent through intentional storytelling and creative media. Through photography, design, data visualization, impact videos, and strategic communications, I document the stories that deserve to be seen, preserve the knowledge that deserves to be carried forward, and create pathways for our communities to connect. My work bridges culture and communications, making complex information accessible to our lāhui while honoring the voices behind it.
Communications & Marketing Director
Laurissa Tsukimura
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Being raised on the continent by parents who were born and raised in Hawaiʻi from Japanese and Filipino backgrounds, it was instilled in me early on that I may not be Hawaiian by blood, but I am by heart. That the way I choose to represent myself and interact with others—whether in the classroom, sports, or in the workplace—is a direct reflection of the values and beliefs that I was raised on. Starting at KALO as the Marketing Intern and now serving as the Marketing Coordinator, it is my kuleana to give back to the community and culture that raised me by creating designs that put Hawaiʻi at its center. I am honored to be able to contribute to physical and digital media that the lāhui can wear and share with pride. The Native Hawaiian community deserves to be represented wholly, not just as a footnote in someone else’s history.
Marketing Coordinator
Devon Muña
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My kuleana has always been to serve and uplift the community around me. My previous role as Program Assistant Intern and my current role as ARCC Coordinator have allowed me to see the direct impacts KALO has on our community, which deeply motivates me to continue this work. I approach my work with commitment, enthusiasm, and the cultural foundation that my family instilled in me to contribute to this incredible community. As I approach my seventh year in the diaspora, I am grateful to have found KALO, since it has given me a space that feels like home. I feel indebted to this community and all that it has given me, so I will continue to contribute my best to support it and KALO’s mission.
AloHā Resource & Community Center Coordinator
Hale O Nā Papahana (Programs)
Nicole Kepo‘o-Caspino
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As a poʻe Hawaiʻi, my kuleana to the lāhui stems from growing up in Hawaiʻi and seeing the importance of community and culture every single day, even when the culture wasn't my own. Aloha mai kākou, my name is Nicole and I am a first-generation college graduate of Filipino descent and my dream job was anything that allowed me to give back to the community I've known my entire life. Today, the knowledge and values that have been rooted in me as a little girl continue to show in the amazing programs we offer and through the pilina built within each and every one of you. It is with great honor that I am able to help share the stories of all of Hawaiʻi and build a puʻuhonua we can all call; our home away from home. I am forever indebted to the place and community that made me who I am today.
Luna Papahana
Program Director
Jolie Jessie
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As the eldest child of six, my Kuleana has always been to look after my younger siblings and the kūpuna in my ʻOhana. I feel my kuleana is similar at KALO because I approach the programs for keiki, ʻōpio, makua and kūpuna the same way. I try to listen and learn about the needs of whoever I am creating a program for and build from where they are at. I also have a similar upbringing to those in in KALO community that were born and raised in Hawaiʻi, but have lived and raised my keiki on the continent. Having this experience also helps our community still feel connected and Hawaiian enough every day. Itʻs an honor and privilege to be able to share culture, education and aloha every day.
Community Programs Coordinator
Amelia Styan
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As the māla steward my kuleana is to ensure that the kalo as well as other mea kanu growing at our mālas thrive. As a part Native Hawaiian I am also grateful for the opportunity to learn about my culture and integrate Hawaiian practices, teachings, and language into our ‘āina programs. I am still young on my journey of growing food but I hope to be able to feed my community, humbly teach them what I learn as I learn it, and pass down what I know to future generations.
ʻĀina Programs Coordinator
Hailey Loman
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I am Hailey Loman, KALO's ʻĀina Intern, an ʻolapa of Ka Lei Haliʻa O Ka Lokelani. I am of Japanese and Portuguese descent, and was raised in Beaverton, Oregon. My kuleana is to nurture the ʻāina and māla we have, learn about this ʻāina we care for, and share what I learn with our community. I aim to apply my cultural background and my education in environmental sciences to promote Indigenous values in research.
ʻĀina Intern
Hale Hoʻonaʻauao (Education)
Toni Iwalani Fujiwara
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Aloha, O Toni Iwalani Fujiwara koʻu inoa. No Portland ʻOlekona mai au. As Curriculum Developer for KALO, I hope to be able to help create education opportunities from a Hawaiian lens so that keiki on the continent can still be immersed in the Hawaiian way of life. I am a 3rd generation Native Hawaiian, but the first of my ʻohana to be born and raised on the continent. With over 20 years in public education, creating the first Pacific Island Club at the largest high school in Oregon and coaching youth rugby with a strong PI presence, I understand the struggles of growing up away from the islands and how hard it can be to find your people. My kuleana is to ensure future generations have opportunities to learn ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, oli, mele, hula and the cultural practices that give us all a sense of connection as well as a knowing of who we are and where we come from.
Curriculum Development & Program Support
Nohea‘ililani Waiwai‘ole
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As the hiapo of the 3rd generation in my ʻohana to be born into the Hawaiian diaspora, my perspective gives me a strong sense of kuleana to others navigating displacement, and particularly generational displacement. As an ʻohana who has long undergone feeling erased or misrepresented in data and moʻolelo, it's an honor to work among others to ʻauamo the shared kuleana of addressing these gaps within our health and education systems and uplifting the resistance of our communities. In this project, my kuleana is the administrative and logistical coordination as related to our data organization, infrastructure, and capacity.
Hoʻonaʻauao & Outreach Support
Research Coordinator
Hale Mālama ‘Ike (Research & Data)
Lexie Jackson
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I am still learning my kuleana. Currently, I see my kuleana as: to honor the knowledge shared by mentors with me and to do my best in sharing the stories of the communities I have the privilege to be a part of. I am a forever student - learning from incredible researchers, community leaders and organizers, and community and cultural protectors. Through these experiences, I am slowly putting together what I know and need to continue to learn. In my role at KALO my kuleana is working with the community to find ways to advocate for the health and wellbeing of the displaced Native Hawaiian community.
Kaiāulu Research & Development Director
Maddie Wusstig
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As a Chamorro girl living in the Pacific Northwest, I feel a strong responsibility toward indigenous Pasifika community, especially in healthcare. I recently graduated from OSU with a degree in Pre-medicine and Nutrition. As someone passionate about health, community and the land are at the core of our healing practices. My role here at KALO is the Community Outreach Fellow for our Research & Data team. I have the privilege to work directly with community members, talking about our communities' access to healing, and think about how we can start more conversations like it. I believe the best solutions can only come from talking-story with your neighbors, elders, and loved ones, along with sharing knowledge with one another. My hope is to continue to build and strengthen our community, and continue important conversations, so we can better support our Pasifika community.
Community Relations Fellow
Emily Souza
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Being born and raised in rural Hawaiʻi, I feel that I have been blessed with a unique upbringing that has influenced who I am today and how I view the world. The strong sense of community in my small town, and on Hawaiʻi Island as a whole, has instilled in me the kuleana to have empathy and kindness for others and to help in any way that I can. Whether back home or on the continent, my kuleana is to use my experiences and education to represent and serve the community and people that I love while continuing to be a lifelong learner and keep expanding my knowledge. I plan to continue my education with a Master’s in Public Health and eventually pursue my doctorate in order to politically advocate for my community.
Data Visualization Fellow
Hale Mālama Ola (Health)
Ku‘ulei Yarbrough
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Aloha kākou, o wau noʻo Kuʻulei Yarbrough. Through my role as the Community Health Worker at KALO, my kuleana is to support the health of our community from a culturally appropriate lens. Growing up in Oregon as a Native Hawaiian, I am blessed to have been surrounded by my culture as an ʻolapa of Ka Lei Kaliʻa O Ka Lokelani. My foundation of halau has inspired me to uplift other poʻe Hawaiʻi in Oregon, and give back to the community that raised me.
Community Health Worker
‘Aha Ho‘okō – Executive Board
Cheryl Dutro
Pelekikena
Jill Kakehi
Puʻuku
Kākau ʻŌlelo
La‘akea Bryne
Nicole Lee Ellison
Hope Pelekikena
Kēhau Searle
Luna Hoʻokele o Nā ʻAha
Conventions Director
Noelani Tanaka
Luna Hoʻokele ʻŌpio
Director
Community Advisory Board
Louise Wilmes
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Louise Wilmes was an educator who concluded a 41-year career with the Beaverton School District (BSD). Her tenure included 37 years as a K-6 classroom teacher and four years as the BSD Title VI Indian Education Coordinator. A Native Hawaiian and member of the Otoe-Missouria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, she is an alumna of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. She holds a BA in Elementary Education from Pacific University and an MA in Education Administration from George Fox University.
Throughout her career, Louise has been an advocate for Indigenous student success, serving on both the American Indian/Alaska Native and the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Success Advisory Boards. She is an active member of the Oregon Indian Education Association (OIEA) and has extensive experience facilitating professional development for educators on the implementation of Tribal History/Shared History curriculum.
In her current work, Louise engages Hawaiian and Native keiki through summer programs that preserve ancestral traditions. By integrating mo’olelo, mele, dance, art, and STEM, she remains dedicated to fostering cultural pride and academic engagement for students of all ages.
Daniel Kalei Kaniho Jr.
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- Native Hawaiian raised on DHHL Pastural Homestead Land in Waimea, Hawaii
- Graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with my BS in Civil Engineering in
1973
- From 1973 to 2000 were my working years in the construction industry that I
cherished for a total of 47 years, were beginning in cost, project engineering, and as
a project superintendent, which took me to work in Johnston Atoll, Majuro, Marshall
Island, and America Samoa ; and visited places in Ponape, Truk, Western Samoa,
and Fiji.
- In 2000, after obtaining my Professional Engineering License with the State of Hawaii
for the next 18 years as Senior Construction Manager on various projects with the
State of Hawaii Department of Transportation - Airport Division in Hawaii and a
project on the Island of Guam.
- Retired in 2018 and in 2020 - Moved to Canby , OR to be close to our two
daughters, six grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
- Note: I try to spend time annually on my DHHL Pastural Puukapu Lot in Waimea,
Hawaii for a month as my happy place.
Ku‘uipo Yarbrough
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Aloha, my name is Kuʻuipo! I’m an Oregon born and raised industrial and software engineer. Outside of work, I'm pursuing my masters at Portland State University in power engineering, a specialized branch of electrical engineering. In addition to my engineering background, I bring experience as a coding instructor and as a former part time faculty member at Mount Hood Community College. During my free time, I enjoy learning how to knit and trying new cafes. I have also been an 'olapa for Ka Lei Hali’a O Ka Lokelani for roughly 10 years!
Cecilia Reinig
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Aloha mai kākou, 'O Cecilia "Anakē Cece" Reinig ko'u inoa. I am a multi-generational daughter of Wailuku, Maui, with a deep connection to the people, place, and values of Hawaiʻi that remains a part of me wherever I go. Humbled by this opportunity, I am grateful to bring my service to the Community Advisory Board, having witnessed firsthand the meaningful impact KALO makes for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders on the continent. My background spans education, corporate, nonprofit, and holistic health sectors across Hawaiʻi, Japan, California, and Oregon. I bring a genuine commitment to listening across differences, grounded in a sense of kuleana and deep reverence for the culture I was privileged to grow up in. I am honored and excited to serve in Aloha so that this community and all who gather in its spirit feel a sense of belonging wherever life takes them.
Noelani Mengel
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Aloha, 'O Noelani Mengel ko'u inoa. I am born and educated in Southern California and currently spend my time between Moku o Keawe and Southern California. I am passionate our canoe plants: growing them, establishing their genealogy, navigating them, eating them and all the things in-between. Mahalo
Pat Ribellia
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I’m a St. Louis grad, born and raised in Hawaii. I was raised in a blue collar family. I’m a former Hawaii legislator. I have a master's degree in Urban Planning and a law degree from UH.
I was licensed to practice law in Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. I’ve lived in Oregon since 1992 and retired after becoming the Hillsboro city Planning Director. I enjoy playing music ,and golfing.
Kūpuna Council
Donna Ribellia-Abreu
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Donna Ribelia-Abreu is from the island of Oʻahu, left the island in 2012 to move to Oregon. My
previous occupations were in the field of Executive management, President of McDonaldʻs of
Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan, and the Franchise Owner of the Einstein Bagels in Beaverton
Townsquare. I was promoted to ʻTūtū in October 2012. I enjoy Hula, Karaoke, and of course my
moʻopunas.
Jeanette Abraham
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I was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Fremont, California where I went to high school at Irvington High and then graduated college from San Jose State University. My career was in health care; I am a clinical laboratory scientist and a specialist in transfusion medicine. I married a wonderful man in 1974; we had no children. In 2020 Bob died from the effects of multiple sclerosis and my fourteen years as a full-time caregiver ended. I am a Hawaiian Quilt maker and I’m always happiest when I’m stitching on something.
Laura Ribellia
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Aloha. My name is Laura Ribellia. I consider Hawaii my home even though I was born in Oregon, grew up in California, and met my husband (St.Louis Grad) at Paciific University in Forest Grove before moving to Hawaii. We spent twenty years there. I embraced the culture and lifestyle. Upon moving back to the mainland I used my two Master degrees in early childhood and elementary education to continue teaching. I brought the Aloha spirit and culture with me and built my teaching style around multicultual education. My first graders cleaned their own bottle gourds, took the seeds out and then learned how to use their ipu displaying their talent in a May Day show in front of their parents and classmates. I love gardening and anxiously awaiting my second year growing kalo.
April West-Baker
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Hui…ʻo April Lee West-Baker koʻu inoa. Oldest daughter of a career army soldier and RN. Born at Ft Ord, CA and currently live in WA state, my father’s last post. Graduated with a BA in Education from TESC and MSW in Admin with focus on Aging and Health Care from UW. Married to Ben Baker, all together we had 5 children, 21 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren with 2 more coming this August and September!
Nā Lālā Ho‘okumu - Founding Members (Est. 2019)
Michael Aeto
Gabrielle Anderson
Ben Baker
Canya Barnes
Julianne Byrne
Chaunsey Chen
Tiffany Hart
Marianne Itkin
Erin Kaʻaiakamanu
Leialoha Kaʻula
Waialoha Marquoit
James Mattern
Brittany Rivera
Wiliama Sanchez
Kim Sherwood
Aaron Smith
Krystina Tabangcura
Nancy Thompson
Louise Wilmes
Selena Yokoyama
Kaliko Yokoyama
Donna Ching
Natlie Dutro
Garin Fukushima
Kerri Hanson
Kiele Harmon
Shane Hart
Mealoha McFadden
Uilani Nakoʻoka
Miechelle Nations
Lauren Oka
John Pacheco
Steffany Wong Pacheco
