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.
