“I'd rather regret the things I've done than the things I haven't done.”
~ Lucille Ball
January 9 Luncheon
DEBORAH ZYSMAN
Executive Director, Hawaii Children's Action Network
Hawaii
Children's Action Network (HCAN) is an independent, nonpartisan
children's policy and advocacy non-profit organization. Its
mission is to build a unified voice, educating & advocating for
Hawaii's children. HCAN empowers, engages and connects children's
advocates. HCAN provides information on child well-being,
stimulate dialogue on children's issues, and promote accountability and
action to improve the health, education, safety, and economic status of
Hawaii's children. HCAN works with families, community
organizations, businesses and policymakers to identify and advance
changes that impact children in Hawaii.
As Executive Director of HCAN, Deborah provides overall leadership and
works with the Board of Directors and community partners to improve the
lives of children. She has over a decade of experience leading
non-profit organizations. Deborah has a Master in Public Health in
community health, has served on many community boards, and was recently
appointed as a Weinberg Fellow by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg
Foundation, Inc. She is passionate about social justice, community
advocacy and building community leaders.
During our January luncheon, Deborah will focus on issues such as
affordable childcare/preschool and paid family leave and how women
leaders can get involved in assisting Hawaii’s children. She is
looking forward to sharing her personal journey as a professional woman,
community advocate and mom.
Please join us as we begin 2017 with Deborah and her very important work with our children!
January 9 Luncheon
Pacific Club 1451 Queen Emma St.
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
RSVP due by noon on Wednesday, Jan 4 at OrgOfWomenLeaders@gmail.com
Check payable to OWL for $45 for each guest.
Mail to: OWL
516 Kawaihae St. #E
Honolulu, HI 96825-1240
President
Julie Arigo invites all new members and interested current members to
join her before the meeting at 11:15 a.m. for an informal meet and
greet, as well as short discussion of the mission of OWL.
Please don't miss this great opportunity to learn more about OWL and get
answers to any questions you may have about our organization.
President's Message
2017 - "Empower and Encourage"
Julie Arigo
Happy New Year!
It is hard to believe 2016 has come and gone, and we are now celebrating
2017. It is my hope that everyone had much accomplished in the
past year and have already set your resolutions, goals and intentions
for the coming year!
At this time, I would like to thank Kate Braden for serving as our past
President and congratulate her on her recent retirement. Kate is now
enjoying her retirement years spending time with family, traveling and
doing all the things she has put off in the last 30 years of her working
life. To the past year's board members - Lisa Gibson,
Jennifer Grems and Ina Chang – we appreciate the dedication of time and
support you extended to President Kate and the mission of OWL.
I am so honored to be your President in the upcoming term and truly look
forward to working with all our elected board members in continued
support of OWL's mission to develop a network of contacts among
women in decision-making positions, to promote effectiveness on the job,
and professional advancement.
I have been a member of OWL for almost 10 years now, and managing an
upscale property in Waikiki, the Waikiki Parc Hotel, for almost 10
years. As I look back at working to accomplish my personal and
professional goals, I recognize that my achievements would not have been
possible without the support of many individuals who have given me
mentorship and courage to believe in myself. As such, I have
chosen the theme of "Empower & Encourage" for this coming term.
I believe this theme will help us to remember that as members of OWL, as
women professionals in our various industries, and as grandmothers,
mothers, aunties, sisters, and girlfriends to other women and girls in
our circles, we have the ability to contribute to the empowerment of our
gender due to our great natural tendency to nurture and provide
emotional (and not just intellectual) brace to those who look for
inspiration and guidance. It is always good to remember the
importance of practicing the plain and simple acts of caring, kindness
and love. Additionally, this theme will serve as guidance for our board
in the selection of continued great speakers for our luncheons, our main
venue for networking and development.
It has been said that behind every successful woman is a tribe of other
women who have her back. For me personally, there have been many
women who leave a forever mark in my mind for giving me their helpful
advice, for saying kind words, for that pat on the back and even that
little nudge that has contributed to everything I have
achieved. When women support each other, incredible things happen!
I am thrilled to work with the ladies on our 2017 board and believe that
with our combined passion for OWL and as we also empower and encourage
each other, we will keep this organization strong and alive, and a
desirable group for women leaders in our community to join. Our board
members are all leaders who represent their companies well & who
serve OWL and their communities selflessly. I can’t do this alone and I
am a believer in “It Takes A Team”.
In closing, I would like to share a quote with all of you….
“You can always tell who the strong women are...they are the ones you see building other women up and not tearing them down.”
Let’s make 2017 a year of empowering and encouraging!
With gratitude,
Julie
What We Heard
November 7
Sherry Menor-McNamara President, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
by Ananda Chou
Sherry Menor-McNamara: Living a "3C" Life
At
our November luncheon we had the privilege of hearing from Sherry
Menor-McNamara, the youngest and first female president of the Chamber
of Commerce of Hawaii. Sherry shared with us her impressive journey to
success, and the “3 C’s” by which she lives life, illustrated by her
experiences:
1. Confidence–
“It is only through constant training that our practice will grow
steady and we will be able to control our negative tendencies
fearlessly.”
After
college in New York, interning for Senator Akaka, grad school followed
by law school, Sherry began working for the Chamber of Commerce doing
what she loved – lobbying and advocating for people like her mother, a
self-made entrepreneur. She didn’t always have the confidence to pursue
her next steps in life. She found her confidence to lead through finding
her passion in government affairs, perseverance, support of mentors and
family, and training through programs such as the Omidiyar Fellows.
Sherry rose to become one of only 3 female Chamber CEO’s in the country
(and only Asian) and utilizes her differences as strengths. Sherry
encouraged us to find our confidence and not to focus on being perfect
or being afraid to fail. Whereas she once felt she needed to wear pants
to be taken seriously, she now embraces being a woman in a dress in 4
inch heels, often in a sea of men.
2. Collaboration – “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.” – Dalia Lhama
Sherry
believes collaboration is important, often because it is lacking in the
political world. No longer are we listening to each other, embracing
each other’s perspectives. Ignorance is a problem. There is a lot of
false knowledge out there that one needs to take a step back and be
proactive in finding the truth. Her advice is to embrace “Laulima” –
many hands working together in cooperation and harmony. Sherry is
working to change the paradigm of the business world through
collaboration.
3. Champagne
– Sherry drinks champagne, and often people ask her, “What is the
occasion?” She believes every day is a reason to celebrate, not just
rare occasions, which is why champagne is a part of her philosophy. Her
philosophy is not about focusing on what should have or could have been
done; it is more focusing on what one wants to do. Start today because
it is never too late to be present and notice your accomplishments and
aspirations. She ended her inspiring talk by thanking the fantastic team
that she works with that allows her to be out in the community, and
with a quote by Lucille Ball, “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done
than regret the things I haven’t done.”
Confidence Collaboration Champagne
Out-going President Kate Braden and guest speaker Sherry Menor-McNamara
OWL 2016 Outstanding Woman
of the Year Awards
Dr. Aya Sultan
OWL Outstanding Woman of the Year
Private Sector
Dr.
Aya Sultan was named OWL's Private Sector Outstanding Woman of the Year
during our annual luncheon. Dr. Sultan recently opened Honu
Women’s Health, a private Ob/Gyn and aesthetics practice dedicated to
helping women achieve “Inner Health and Outer Beauty”TM.
Aya received her MD from UMDNJ, her PhD from University of
Maryland, Baltimore, and completed her residency in Obstetrics &
Gynecology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, here in Hawaii. She
was then recruited to Stanford University where she held a dual position
in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Medical Oncology
and focused on ovarian cancer research while mentoring and teaching
medical students and residents. After nearly six years at Stanford, she
returned to Honolulu to open Honu Women’s Health. Along with her
brothers Omar and Tarik Sultan, Dr. Sultan is also Founding Partner of
Sultan Ventures, a Hawaii-based boutique venture firm focusing on early
stage startups and investments.
Tracie Young
OWL Outstanding Woman of the Year
Public Sector
Tracie
Young was named OWL's Public Sector Outstanding Woman of the Year
during our annual luncheon. Tracie is an economic development
specialist with the Creative Industries Division - State of Hawaii,
DBEDT, where she develops and implements programs to promote export
marketing opportunities for Hawaii’s Creative Economy. Tracy combines
her passion for the arts with her background in business
development, she works to expand strategic industry partnerships for
Hawaii’s Creative Industries, with a focus on the Creative Media, Film,
Music, Fashion and Visual Arts sectors. Actively involved in
various non-profit organizations, she is the current president of
Soroptimist International of Honolulu, a past president of OWL and is
also a board member with The Bella Project. In her spare time, she
is an avid yoga enthusiast and jewelry design hobbyist.
Wahine Forum
October 27, 2016
Hilton Hawaiian Village
The
9th annual Hawaii Business Wahine Forum was centered on the theme of
“Build your Life, Shape our World”. Over 700 attendees ranging from high
school students to top level executives were in attendance. It was a
fantastic venue for connecting with peers, potential mentors and seeing
old friends. The key note speaker was Jane Miller, Chief Operating
Officer of Gallup. Jane has a passion for improving and understanding
how women work best. She explores what motives women, what keeps us
engaged and the new buzz word, “work-life integration”, which has
replaced “work-life balance”.
The
Wahine Forum also lined up an equally impressive panel of ladies
discussing topics from social media to new ways to lead. Hawaii Business
does a remarkable job of choosing panelists that are accessible and
approachable. Our own Barbara Pleadwell was a panelist in the General
Session and spoke candidly about “Creating Change”.
OWL has participated in the Wahine Form for a number of years and it has
proven to be a beneficial way to share with the broader community what
we are about. Thank you Hawaii Business for organizing this amazing
event!
SAVE THE DATE
OWL SPRING MIXER
The OWL Board invites all OWL members and their guests to join us for the OWL Spring Mixer.
Thursday, April 27
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Additional details to follow
MEET THE 2017 OWL BOARD
JULIE ARIGO – President
Julie
began her career at Waikiki Parc in 1994. Prior to assuming her role as
general manager in 2012, she held various managerial roles and has been
instrumental in the development of Waikiki Parc as a contemporary
hotel. She has been recognized by national industry magazines, including
Hotel Management’s “Top 25 General Managers to Watch” and was also
featured in Pacific Edge’s “Leading Ladies of Hospitality” as one of the
top executives from Oahu’s hotel industry. Under Julie's
leadership, Waikiki Parc Hotel was recently recognized in Hawaii
Business Magazine as one of Hawaii’s Best Places to Work in 2016.
Additionally, U.S. News and World Report named Waikiki Parc Hotel as one
of the Best Hotels in the U.S.A. in 2016.
Julie is the founder and 2014-2016 Chairperson of Women in Lodging &
Tourism – Hawai’i Chapter and serves as a board member of the Hawai`i
Lodging & Tourism Association. She presides on the boards of the
University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Travel Industry Management School's
Travel Advisory Council and Hawaii Society of Business Professionals
(HSBP).
VALERIE SCHMIDT – President-elect
Valerie Schmidt, CFP®, ChFC®,
CFS®, AEP®, is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise
Financial Services, Inc. She received the 2014 OWL Business Woman
of the Year Award in the For Profit Sector and was a Finalist for the
2014 Pacific Business News Business Woman of the Year. She has
been in the financial industry for the past 19 years, is married and has
one son. Valerie is also President of The Bella Project.
This nonprofit organization provides prom dresses to girls who can’t
afford to go to prom, are critically ill, special needs or lost their
father/brother while serving our country.
LIBBY LEE-HOBBS – Membership
Libby
Lee-Hobbs is the Director of the Honolulu Family Justice Center for the
Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, City & County of
Honolulu. The HFJC’s mission is to assist those victims of
domestic violence, sex assault and human trafficking. She
has overall responsibility for strategic and fiscal planning,
management, development, collaboration and coordination of social, legal
and public safety services. A graduate of University of Hawaii,
she is married and together they have a son, a sophomore attending
Dartmouth College.
JULIE INOUYE – Co-VP Programs
Julie
Inouye is the Associate Director of Development and Alumni Engagement
for the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). Her focus is to
develop and build relationships with JABSOM’s alumni and other
supporters through enhanced networking and ongoing communications. Prior
to joining JABSOM, Julie spent the past 16 years working as a Certified
Financial Planner, most recently working with First Hawaiian Bank in
the Private Wealth Management division. Julie is a graduate of
Mid-Pacific Institute and the University of Hawaii. Aside from work,
Julie enjoys going to the beach and zoo with her two young children and
“date nights” with her husband.
KATHLEEN PERKINS - Director At Large
Kathy Perkins
most recent passion is education. She leads a team of 75 doTERRA
wellness advocates, responsible for their education as well as sharing
about the healthy benefits of doTERRA essential oils to others. Perkins
has also returned to St. Andrew Priory School as the school’s Priory in
the City Career Coach.
Kathy has 30 years of experience in the financial and business
industries, working for Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank and The
Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii in senior executive positions. She also
was the Priory’s Director of Institutional Advancement and Alumnae
Relations for four years.She is a graduate of the University of Hawaii
at Manoa, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Administration and is graduate of the Bank Administration
Institute-Graduate School of Banking, with an emphasis in Retail
Banking.
Kathy has served on the boards of Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii,
Rotary Club of Pearlridge, Women in Business Committee/Small Business
Administration, Junior League of Honolulu and Organization of Women
Leaders; and served as President of the Junior League of Honolulu and
the Organization of Women Leaders.
ANANDA CHOU – Treasurer
Ananda
Chou has been strengthening communities in Hawaii for the past 10 years
with the YMCA of Honolulu. She currently serves as Executive Director
for the Atherton YMCA Branch, where she has the opportunity to make a
difference every day.
Her work focuses on inspiring and empowering young adults from all
backgrounds to become cause-driven leaders in the community. From
mentoring student leaders, to providing service learning experiences, to
inspiring underprivileged high school students to go to college, the
Atherton YMCA provides resources and opportunities for students to grow
and thrive as individuals and connect college to a successful
career. Ananda served on the board for the Kailua Chamber of
Commerce for the past 3 years, and has served on the board for the
Honolulu Professionals Foundation.
DORI PALCOVICH – Recording Secretary
Dori
has been an Economic Development Specialist with the State's Department
of Business, Economic Development & Tourism for the past 16 years.
Prior to working in state government, Dori's first career of 20
years was in banking where she worked as a bank examiner, commercial
lender, and loan review analyst. She holds a bachelor's degree in
finance and a master's in business, both from Quinnipiac University in
Connecticut, and a juris doctor degree from Concord Law School in
California. Dori is a volunteer at Hawaii Mission House, and is
the vice president and council member of Lutheran Church of Honolulu
where she is also on the church's audit committee. She enjoys
going to the theater, exercising, reading, and rug hooking.
PAM HARMS – Corresponding Secretary
Pam
is the International Law Attorney-Advisor for the US Army, Pacific,
where she provides advice to the command on international treaties and
agreements, intelligence oversight, cyber security issues, and fiscal
law matters associated with military operations.
Pam served over 24 years on active duty
as an Army lawyer, retiring in 2012 as a Colonel. She deployed to
Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom as Senior Attorney for the 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault) and served as a military prosecutor
during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. She has two
daughters, Devan, who is a Professor of Bioethics at Michigan State
University Medical School, and Darian, Ph.D. canidate at Concordia
University in Montreal.
KRISTI BATES – Director at Large
Kristi
Bates is Director of Individual Giving at ‘Iolani School.
Prior to this position, she served as Director and Associate
Director of Development at the University of Hawai‘i Foundation.
In that time she worked primarily at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer
Center, the John A. Burns School of Medicine, and the College of
Engineering. She also spent 15 years as a flight attendant at
United Airlines, and was owner/operator of a small business.
Kristi holds a BA in Communications and a MA in Human Resource
Management from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She currently
serves on the board of the Hawaii Gift Planning Council and OWL.
She enjoys the wonderful friendships she has made as an OWL member,
especially when connecting with other women juggling their professional
lives and raising a family.
MONA CHOY-BEDDOW – Director at Large
Mona
Choy-Beddow is the Senior Vice President and Hawaii Regional Manager
for HomeStreet Bank, responsible for leading HomeStreet’s Consumer and
Business Banking operations in Hawaii, including the largest branch
among HomeStreet’s 54 branches throughout the West.
Mona
was a founding member for YWCA’s Patsy Mink Center for Business
& Leadership where she served as a Treasurer, an advisory board
member and chairwoman of the funding committee. She was a
member of the Board of Directors of the Aikane O'Hokulani PTO from
2002-2008 and served as President from 2005-2007.
Mona
is a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management, Hawaii Chapter;
the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of
Commerce; and the Hawaii Association of Financial Institution of
Security Officers. Her previous affiliations include West Honolulu
Rotary, BIA, Financial Women International (Hawaii
Chapter), Hawaii Financial Regulatory & Compliance Association,
Hawaii Financial Information Security Organization, the Aiea Pearl City
Business Association and Hawaii Jump$tart Coalition.
LAURA LOTT - Director at Large
Laura M. Lott
is the Director of Communications and Public Relations for Kaiser
Permanente Hawaii. She manages external communications, events and
multimedia for the state's largest integrated health care
organization. Laura previously served in various communications
and public relations capacities for Hawaii Medical Service Association
and the Hawaii State Department of Health, and is a former producer with
KHON-TV.
Laura received her bachelor of arts degree in communications and her
master's of business administration from the University of Hawaii at
Manoa. She is a member of the International Association of
Business Communicators, the Public Relations Society of America, and a
former board member of the Women's Fund of Hawaii.
STACIA MURRAY – Director at Large
Stacia
Murray is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial and has been in
her current position since 1999. She holds the following designations
for financial planning which include: CRPC (Chartered Retirement
Planning Counselor), ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant), and CFP®
(Certified Financial Planner practitioner). As a financial advisor, she
helps clients with retirement planning strategies, saving for education,
risk management, estate planning strategies, and investment management.
Stacia was born and raised in Honolulu. She attended St. Andrew’s
Priory from 7th to 12th grade, and then continued on to
receive her degree in Finance from the University of Portland, Oregon.
After graduating from college, she lived and worked in Tsukuba, Japan
teaching English prior to the start of her financial career.
TRACIE YOUNG - Director At Large
Tracie
Young is an economic development specialist with the Creative
Industries Division - State of Hawaii, DBEDT, where she develops and
implements programs to promote export marketing opportunities for
Hawaii’s Creative Economy. Combining her passion for the arts with
her background in business development, she works to expand strategic
industry partnerships for Hawaii’s Creative Industries, with a focus on
the Creative Media, Film, Music, Fashion and Visual Arts sectors.
Actively involved in various non-profit organizations, she is the
current president of Soroptimist International of Honolulu, a past
president of OWL and is also a board member with The Bella Project. In
2016, she was recognized as OWL’s Outstanding Woman Leader of the Year
for the Public Sector. In her spare time, she is an avid yoga enthusiast
and jewelry design hobbyist.
2017 Membership Renewal and Upcoming Luncheon Meeting Dates
January 9 - Pacific Club
March 13 - Pacific Club
May 8 - Pacific Club
July 10 - Pacific Club
September 11 - Pacific Club
November 6 - Halekulani Hotel
Annual dues for Jan. through Dec. 2017 is $260.
Membership luncheons are generally held on the second Monday of January,
March, May, July, September and November from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Meetings are usually held at the Pacific Club, but locations will be
confirmed prior to the meeting.
The
mission of OWL is to develop a network of contacts among women in
decision- making positions to promote effectiveness on the job and
professional advancement.
The
goals and objectives of OWL shall be to establish a network of contacts
between the public and private sectors; to establish a professional and
interpersonal support system for women professionals; to offer
informational opportunities for women in management; to provide
career-related ideas and information; and to share job and career
advancement opportunities.
Announcements
We
love to hear from you! Because we know your time is valuable, OWL
President Julie Arigo will be reading the member announcements at our
luncheon along with her welcome message. Please email your news to Julie
at Julie.Arigo@waikikiparc.com.
You
may also share your achievements or any newsworthy items with your OWL
sisters through our newsletter. Email your news along with a photo
to Pam Harms at pamela.m.harms@gmail.com.
Reminder
As
a courtesy to our speakers, guests and OWL members, please keep side
conversations to a minimum during the speaker presentation.
