Hawaii nonprofit people in the news

Personal pledges to abandon old
habits are Kanu’s core strategy

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser recently profiled James Koshiba, executive director of Kanu Hawaii:

The best Christmas gift James Koshiba would like to see from Hawaii may be no present, at least not a physical gift. Koshiba, 38, is executive director of Kanu Hawaii, a community-activism nonprofit with a focus on sustainability issues, founded in 2007. The organization is reprising a form of its annual campaign to reduce trash during the holidays, when 25 percent more waste is generated than during any other period of the same duration.

"No Waste Challenge 2011" includes various events and seminars regarding our consumer-driven, waste-choked society, but it centers on a pledge people can take to limit themselves to one bag of household trash per week through the end of this month. More details are at kanuhawaii.org.

Kanu numbers its membership at about 15,000; Koshiba said the largest "bubbles" are people in their 20s and 30s and those in their 50s.

Making personal pledges to abandon old habits is a core part of Kanu membership. Organization leaders have found through surveys that some of its challenges, such as eating more local foods, have been easier for members to maintain, while others, such as changing transportation modes, have been tough.

"The kinds of behaviors that are social are easier and much more fun to change than the ones that are individual," Koshiba said. "The actions that you don't do with other people, that's harder because you don't have that peer pressure."

Beyond pledges, Kanu leaders hope its members build on their personal pledges and turn to a more vocal form of advocacy. The context provided by populist movements such as the tea party and Occupy Wall Street, though arising from divergent political philosophies, is encouraging, Koshiba added.

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> Sister Agnelle Ching will retire as CEO of the St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii on Jan. 1. Jerry J. Correa Jr., who currently serves as St. Francis’ chief operating officer, will be promoted to president and CEO, the Ewa Beach-based nonprofit health services provider announced. Correa will be the first lay person to serve as St. Francis’ CEO since it was founded in 1927. Ching’s retirement caps a 14-year management career with St. Francis, including six years as CEO. She said she will remain active in the ministry and take on a new role as St. Francis’ chief sponsorship officer, overseeing mission services, the St. Francis International Center of Healthcare Ethics, spiritual services and other programs.

> Keith Wolter has resigned as executive director of Maui AIDS Foundation, where he served for six years.  Steve Hire, the foundation’s administrative director, has been appointed by the Board to be interim executive director.

> Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the Arts has announced Eva Laird Smith as its sixth executive director. She has been director of the USO of Hawaii for the past two years, president of Junior Achievement of Hawaii and executive director of the Filipino Community Center of Hawaii.

> Hawaii Health Connector, a private nonprofit exchange funded in part by state appropriations, federal grants and private contributions, has named Coral Andrews as its first executive director. HHC is Hawaii's first health insurance exchange designed to provide affordable medical coverage for thousands of uninsured residents under the federal health reform law. Andrews said the exchange will drive down the number of uninsured from 8 percent to less than 5 percent over the next decade. She was previously vice president of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, a trade association representing hospitals, long-term care and hospice providers.

> Hakim Ouansafi has been named executive director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, effective Jan. 3, replacing Denise Wise, who resigned from the state’s public housing agency in October. A native of Morocco who has lived in Hawaii for 13 years, Ouansafi also is the volunteer chairman of the nonprofit Muslim Association of Hawaii.

> Hawaii Youth Symphony has announced that its executive director, Selena Ching, who led the organization for eight years, will resign effective Jan. 20 to accept a new position as director of institutional advancement at Hanahauoli School. Ching also serves on the HANO board of directors. HYS is conducting a search for a new executive director. Duties include working with staff and the musical director to develop and implement concerts and special events throughout the year.

> Pacific Buddhist Academy has appointed Blayne Higa director of development and community relations. He worked for state Rep. Sylvia Luke for 13 years.

> Hawaii Theatre Center has named Angela Britten as its director of development and will oversee the theater's fundraising. Britten was development director for Olomana Marketing and director of corporate development and special events at Bishop Museum.

> Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has appointed Laura M. Lott director of community and public relations. She has 20 years of media and communication experience, including with HMSA, the state Department of Health and as former producer with KHON2. Kaiser also announced the hiring of Dr. Louise Lettich as a specialist in psychiatry, where she will practice at the Behavioral Health Services clinic on Oahu.

> Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement announced that Marina Loew has joined Hawaiian Community Assets for one year of service. Loew is one of five current CNHA AmeriCorps Vista volunteers and is originally from Ithaca, N.Y.

> Chaminade University has announced Christopher A. McNally as an associate professor of political economy. He will continue as a nonresident fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu. McNally held fellowships conducting research and fieldwork at Asia Research Centre in West Australia, the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

> YMCA of Honolulu has appointed the following to its board of directors: Ronald R. Cox, Craig Chong, Robert K. Iopa, Thomas Risse, Keith Sakamoto, David Striph, L. Candy Suiso, Lynette Lo Tom and Rebecca "Becki" Ward.

> The Nature Conservancy has announced that James "Kimo" Haynes III has joined the organization's Hawaii board of trustees. He is the president of Maui Petroleum, Hawaii Petroleum and Minit Stop.

> Professional Women's Network has announced the following members to be their officers and board of directors for 2012: Mary Hough­ton, president; Kay Lorraine, vice president; Audrene Burress, treasurer; Tanya Torres, recording secretary; Audrey Hutton, arrangements; Amber Ricci, events; Jeannie Shaw, scholarship; Kalona Ortiz, public relations; Linda Virtudes, membership; Micaire Baxter, fundraising; and Lei­anne Pedro, social media.

> Building Industry Association of Hawaii announced officers for 2012: Dean I. Asahina, president; Greg Thielen, president elect; Brian Adachi, vice president; Michael J. Brant, secretary; Timothy J. Waite, treasurer; Paul D. Silen, special appointee-builder; Craig Washofsky, special appointee-associate; James Byxbee, immediate past president; and Karen T. Nakamura, executive vice president and chief executive officer.

> The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce has appointed Doreen Napua Gomes as director and Membership Committee chair. Gomes, the secretary for the Waiohuli Hawaiian Homesteaders Association Inc., has served Maui County on the Police Commission. In 2005, she retired from Hawaiian Telecom but continued to work for the State of Hawaii caring for the elderly with Native Hawaiian Healthcare Inc., part of Hui No Ke Ola Pono.