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.
