Our Team
Leina Ijacic, BS-RN, LSSBB
Leina is a seasoned executive healthcare and housing strategist with 20 years of experience leading mission-driven organizations through growth and transformation. She brings deep financial and operator experience across acute care, behavioral health, social services, and senior living sectors—grounded in a nurse’s perspective and disciplined as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Leina also serves as CEO and Administrator of One Kalakaua Senior Living in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi’s only fee-simple assisted living community. Previously, she was Chief Administrative Officer at the Institute for Human Services, where she helped the organization grow from $17M to $45M. She helped scale services and launched high-impact programs, including Oʻahu’s first medically monitored drug detox and psychiatric stabilization center, a hub-and-spoke bridge clinic, and integrated housing-and-health initiatives. Earlier in her career at The Queen’s Medical Center, she led quality, patient safety, regulatory readiness, and enterprise improvement efforts across Hawaiʻi’s largest hospital system.
Leina holds degrees in Health Care Administration, Nursing, Economics, and Biology/Biotechnology, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She serves on the board of Our Kūpuna, on the Advocacy Committee for the Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi, and on the Sponsorship Committee for the American College of Healthcare Executives. Her leadership has been recognized with honors including Pacific Edge Women in Business, Hawaiʻi Business Magazine Black Book Leadership, Pacific Business News Nonprofit Business Leadership, and Pacific Business News Women Who Mean Business.
FounderEconomic Strategy
Jarod Baker, MBA
Jarod is a seasoned economist and strategic advisor with more than 15 years of experience supporting governments and multilateral partners across the Pacific and Indo-Pacific. He brings deep expertise in macroeconomic assessment, fiscal and financial diagnostics, and investment feasibility—helping translate international finance into practical, bankable projects for small and vulnerable island economies.
Jarod is also the co-founder of Pacific Economics, where he serves as lead economist for a regional consultancy focused on converting international finance into investable development and infrastructure initiatives for Pacific Islands. Previously, he was Hawaii Program Manager in Economic Advisory at KPMG, where he led economic modeling and risk assessments and helped launch the Economic Advantage platform. He has also held senior roles with U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific (Chief, Economic Intelligence & Counter Threat Finance), Maxar Technologies, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation—applying economic analysis to development strategy, regulatory strengthening, and economic security.
Jarod holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, an M.A. in International Policy and Practice from The George Washington University, and a B.A. in International Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, with additional study at the University of International Business & Economics in Beijing. His recent work includes financial landscape analyses and strategic financing feasibility studies supporting regional climate and infrastructure priorities, including efforts aligned with the Micronesia Challenge 2030 and Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity.
Payment Design
Tyrus Lefler, LNHA
Tyrus is a mission-driven post-acute healthcare executive with more than 20 years of experience leading skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, behavioral health programs, and continuing care operations across Hawaiʻi and the western United States. He is known for stabilizing underperforming organizations, strengthening clinical performance, and building practical models of care for vulnerable populations.
He currently serves as Administrator with Pacific Skilled Healthcare, where he helps lead post-acute operations serving both keiki and kūpuna in Hawaiʻi. Earlier, he held senior leadership roles with Kuakini Health Systems, The Care Center of Honolulu, Meridian Healthcare, Cambridge Healthcare, Bella Vista Healthcare Center, and Ensign Services. His experience includes multi-site oversight, workforce development, clinical improvement, and behavioral health integration across skilled nursing, intermediate care, and assisted living environments. He has also worked with the State of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi State Hospital to support long-stay patients transitioning back into community-based settings.
Client Management & Team Leads
Claudia E. Crist, MHA, RN, FACHE, SHRM-SCP
Claudia is a senior healthcare and public sector executive with more than 20 years of experience leading strategy, operations, culture transformation, and large-scale organizational change. Her background spans healthcare systems, public health agencies, behavioral health, and executive development, making her especially valuable in initiatives that require strong governance, stakeholder alignment, and disciplined implementation.
She is President of Kalaukia Enterprises, a Hawaiʻi-based consultancy focused on change leadership, organizational alignment, executive development, and people strategy. Previously, Claudia served as CEO of Sutter Health Kāhi Mōhala, where she led an 88-bed freestanding psychiatric hospital with acute, residential, and forensic services. She also served as Strategic Operations Director for Sutter Health’s mental health services division and as Chief Deputy Director for the California Department of Public Health, where she oversaw more than 150 programs and helped coordinate statewide emergency response and policy implementation.
Claudia holds a Master of Health Administration from the University of Southern California, a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, an associate degree in Nursing, and physician assistant training from Germany. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Senior Certified Professional through SHRM. Her recent honors include Pacific Business News Women Who Mean Business, and she currently serves as President of the Hawaiʻi-Pacific Chapter of ACHE.
Darrah Kamakanaaloha Kauhane, MS, MPH
Darrah is a public health executive and community systems leader known for building culturally grounded, high-impact models of care for Hawaiʻi’s most vulnerable communities. Her work sits at the intersection of health, housing, behavioral health, justice involvement, and disaster response, with a strong emphasis on rural access, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, and cross-sector collaboration.
Darrah serves as Executive Director and CEO of Project Vision Hawaiʻi, where she has led the organization’s rapid growth from a $2 million to a $15 million budget and from 25 to 125 staff. Under her leadership, Project Vision Hawaiʻi has expanded statewide mobile health and social services for rural, low-income, justice-involved, unhoused, and behavioral health populations, while also serving in major emergency and disaster response roles with the Departments of Health, Human Services, and Public Safety. She also founded Kamakanaaloha LLC, where she advises government, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners on community-rooted innovation, reimbursement strategy, and systems transformation.
Darrah holds a Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley, a Master of Science from the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi, and a bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Community Medicine from the University of Washington. Her honors include Pacific Business News Most Admired Leaders, Pacific Business News 40 Under 40, and the American Public Health Association’s Community Outreach Recognition Award.
Health System Design
Donald W. Simpson II, MD, MBA
Dr. Simpson is a board-certified psychiatrist and child and adolescent psychiatrist with executive, clinical, and operational leadership experience across community mental health, outpatient psychiatry, substance use treatment, and integrated care. He brings particularly strong expertise in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model, making him highly relevant to behavioral health system transformation efforts.
He currently serves as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Behavioral Health Clinical Director at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, where he leads behavioral health, addiction medicine, chronic pain management, and broader clinical strategy across the organization. He also practices within Oklahoma’s CCBHC structure through the Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center and serves on Hawaiʻi’s CCBHC Stakeholder Committee, helping shape the state’s certification framework based on SAMHSA-funded planning efforts. His background uniquely combines psychiatric practice, residency training leadership, workforce development, telepsychiatry, and Medicaid-aligned behavioral health operations.
Dr. Simpson holds an MBA in Healthcare Management, completed psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training, and is board certified in both psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. His experience across CCBHC implementation, integrated care, and executive clinical leadership is a major strength for system design and sustainability work.
Sondra Leiggi Brandon, DNP, MBA, MPH, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, PMHNP-BC, APRN-Rx, FAAN
Sondra is a nurse executive and behavioral health leader with deep experience in hospital operations, psychiatric care, system strategy, and nursing leadership. Her background spans executive operations, behavioral health service line development, academic instruction, and public-facing leadership on mental health and healthcare delivery.
She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of The Queen’s Medical Center – Kahi Mōhala and also holds senior leadership roles within The Queen’s Health System focused on behavioral health and patient care strategy. Over the course of her career, she has overseen inpatient, outpatient, and consultative behavioral health services, served as liaison to state agencies on behavioral health matters, and led clinical and operational teams across hospital and psychiatric settings. Her experience also includes APRN consulting in jail diversion, outpatient psychiatric practice, academic teaching, and healthcare operations leadership at Castle Medical Center.
Sondra holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice and MBA from Johns Hopkins University, a post-master’s certificate in psychiatric mental health, a master’s in nursing from the University of Hawaiʻi, and a master’s in public health from Loma Linda University. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and has been recognized with honors including the Johns Hopkins Dean’s Award for Outstanding Nurse Leader, Queen Emma Leadership Award, and Hawaiʻi Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20.
Margot B. Kushel, MD
Dr. Kushel is a nationally recognized physician-scientist and health equity leader with more than two decades of experience advancing evidence-based solutions at the intersection of homelessness, health, and housing. As a board-certified internist and academic leader, she brings a rigorous research lens paired with real-world clinical and community partnership experience to strengthen systems of care for people experiencing homelessness and other underserved populations.
Dr. Kushel is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and serves as Division Chief of the Division of Health Equity and Society, Director of the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity, and Director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. She leads multidisciplinary teams that translate data into actionable strategies for public agencies, health systems, and community organizations—supporting interventions that improve health outcomes and reduce homelessness.
Dr. Kushel earned her A.B. from Harvard University (cum laude) and her M.D. from Yale School of Medicine (cum laude), completing her internal medicine training and a general internal medicine fellowship at UCSF. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors spanning scholarship, clinical teaching, and mentorship, including membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation and awards for excellence in mentoring and health services research.
Technology, Data Infrastructure & Building Design
Chris Hong, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB
Chris is an architect and project leader with more than 20 years of experience delivering complex healthcare, institutional, and public-sector projects across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Born and raised in Honolulu, he brings a strong understanding of island construction realities, regulatory environments, and culturally grounded design, with particular strength in large-scale planning, stakeholder engagement, and data-informed capital strategy.
He is currently a Principal at MKThink, where he leads statewide institutional planning engagements for clients including DAGS, HIDOE, and the Hawaiʻi School Facilities Authority. His recent work includes the statewide PreK capacity strategy, statewide kitchen assessment and regional kitchen transformation strategy for the Department of Education, and a statewide asset management framework for DAGS. Earlier in his career, Chris held leadership roles at NBBJ, Group 70, and Redmont Group, and worked on major healthcare projects for Kaiser Permanente, Valley Medical Center, Banner Gateway Medical Center, Wilcox Medical Center, and other complex care environments.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is a registered architect in Hawaiʻi and Washington. He is LEED accredited and NCARB certified. His honors include the AIA National Young Architect Award, Pacific Business News 40 Under 40, and Modern Healthcare’s Award of Excellence.
Nate Goore, AIA
Nate is a strategic planner and architect whose work integrates design, data, behavioral insight, and organizational change. His background spans architecture, psychology, finance, and behavioral economics, allowing him to help institutions make smarter decisions about capital planning, facility utilization, and long-range strategy.
As a Principal at MKThink, Nate has led work for major academic, healthcare, and public-sector clients, including the University of Hawaiʻi, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Hastings, Santa Clara University, and the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. In Hawaiʻi, his recent work includes the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Framework for the Future, statewide data and asset management planning for the UH system, and major strategic planning efforts for HIDOE’s kitchen transformation and heat abatement initiatives. His work is particularly relevant to public-sector system redesign because it combines analytics, facilities planning, and implementation frameworks in ways that help institutions align infrastructure with mission, growth, and service delivery.
Nate holds a Master of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University. He is an active member of the American Institute of Architects and other professional organizations focused on planning, data, and campus systems.
Reno Abihai, BBA, PMP
Reno is a technology implementation and delivery leader with more than 21 years of experience managing complex cross-functional programs across healthcare, nonprofit, government, telecommunications, and enterprise environments. He is especially skilled at standing up project management infrastructure, stabilizing high-risk initiatives, and turning large-scale systems work into operationally usable tools for frontline teams and leadership.
His experience includes senior roles at HMSA, Hawaiian Telcom, The Queen’s Health Systems, Pacific Point, IBM, and The Institute for Human Services. At IHS, he led major systems transformation work, including the move to paperless housing assistance workflows in Salesforce, implementation of electronic medical records and practice management systems for medical and psychiatric services, development of the organization’s intranet, and streamlining of bed and guest tracking across 13 shelters and houses. At Queen’s and Hawaiian Telcom, he built and managed PMOs, introduced enterprise delivery standards, and led major operational and technology initiatives with broad organizational impact.
Reno holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He has held PMP certification and has been recognized with IBM’s Delivery Excellence Gold Award, along with multiple Bravo and Thanks awards. He also founded and continues to operate a 501(c)(3) boxing club serving youth and young adults from underserved communities.
Health Policy & Strategic Philanthropy
Annie Valentin, MPH
Annie is a strategic philanthropy and public health leader with more than 15 years of experience across government, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations in Hawaiʻi. She is especially skilled in aligning funding strategy, community engagement, and public health priorities to advance large-scale initiatives with lasting community impact.
Most recently, Annie served as Advisor for Public Health to Governor Josh Green, where she supported policy and projects related to homelessness, healthcare, housing, justice, and wellness. Her work included helping launch Hawaiʻi’s first crisis hub, expanding Kauhale services, advancing youth mental health initiatives, strengthening philanthropic engagement, and identifying federal funding opportunities. She also led philanthropy efforts at Adventist Health Castle and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, where she built donor strategy, supported major campaigns, and expanded funding for health system priorities. Earlier, she founded and led Project Vision Hawaiʻi, growing it into a statewide nonprofit with a significant community footprint.
Annie holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her honors include Pacific Business News 40 Under 40, Pacific Business News Women to Watch, and recognition through Omidyar Leaders Lab and Pacific Centuries Fellows.
Program Design
Daniel Goya
Daniel is a senior human services executive and trauma-informed care leader with more than 18 years of nonprofit leadership and 15 years in education. He brings deep expertise in program design, implementation, evaluation, workforce stabilization, and cross-sector collaboration to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations across Hawaiʻi.
His recent roles include Assistant Administrator in the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services’ Social Services Division, where he helped evaluate program effectiveness, workforce readiness, and trauma-informed system alignment. He also serves as Director of Strategies and Innovation at Mālama ʻĀina Foundation and CEO of Ke Ala Hoʻaka, where he leads strategy, evaluation, coaching, and organizational improvement efforts. Earlier, Daniel held leadership roles with Partners in Development Foundation and served as a consultant to Kamehameha Schools, supporting trauma-informed evaluation, strategic planning, and systems innovation. His career has centered on strengthening programs and teams serving children, families, and communities through culturally grounded, trauma-informed approaches.
Daniel’s strengths include program evaluation, leadership development, strategic planning, grant management, and community partnership building. His work is especially relevant to initiatives that require practical system redesign, workforce support, and continuous improvement across human services and behavioral health environments.
Research, Evidence Based Practice, Data, Analytics & Evaluation
Rose K. L. Hata, DNP, MBA, RN, APRN, CCRN, CCNS, NEA-BC, FACHE
Rose is a nurse executive, evidence-based practice leader, and research mentor with deep experience in nursing strategy, workforce development, practice excellence, and institutional research support. Her work is especially relevant to complex public-sector and health system initiatives that require strong clinical governance, evidence-based implementation, and research infrastructure.
She serves as Director of the Queen Emma Nursing Institute at The Queen’s Medical Center, where she leads evidence-based practice and nursing research strategy across the Punchbowl and West Oʻahu campuses. Her role includes oversight of nursing professional development, clinical ladder and leadership programs, Magnet redesignation, nursing quality and policy management, and shared decision-making structures. Rose also serves as a voting member of the Institutional Review Board and has played a central role in mentoring research and evidence-based practice fellows and advancing nursing innovation across the system. Earlier in her career, she served as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in surgical and trauma intensive care and held leadership and educator roles in California.
Rose holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice and an MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, along with a Master of Science in Nursing from UCSF and a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has been recognized with honors including the AACN Circle of Excellence, The Queen’s Health Systems Founders’ Award, and Hawaiʻi State’s 50 Exceptional Nurses Award.
Katherine Finn Davis, PhD, RN, APRN, CPNP-PC, FAAN
Katherine is a nationally recognized nurse scientist, educator, and academic-practice partnership leader with deep expertise in evidence-based practice, workforce development, pediatric and community health, and research translation. She is particularly skilled at building durable partnerships between health systems, universities, and community organizations to strengthen care delivery, workforce readiness, and implementation capacity.
She serves as the Stephanie Marshall and Charles Miller Endowed Director of Community Partnerships and Full Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene, and also holds a joint appointment as Nurse Scientist at The Queen’s Medical Center’s Queen Emma Nursing Institute. Her work focuses on advancing innovative educational and practice partnerships across healthcare systems, government, long-term care, and community settings. She has also held leadership roles with the Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing and Hawaiʻi Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn, and has led or supported major initiatives in evidence-based practice capacity building, school health, behavioral health workforce expansion, and statewide nursing education support.
Katherine holds a PhD and MSN from Emory University, a BSN from the University of North Carolina, and post-graduate study at the University of Pennsylvania and NIH. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and has received numerous honors for scholarship, clinical writing, mentoring, and leadership. Her extensive publications, grants, and statewide partnership work make her a major asset in projects requiring research rigor, implementation strategy, and workforce development.
Carrie M. Oliveira, PhD
Carrie is a workforce researcher and data strategist with deep expertise in Hawaiʻi’s healthcare workforce, applied research, and dashboard-based reporting. Her work is especially valuable in projects that require rigorous data translation, practical reporting tools, and policy-relevant analysis that can support implementation, planning, and long-term system capacity.
She serves as Associate Director and Workforce Researcher for the Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing, where she has led statewide workforce reports, technical documentation, briefs, and dashboards on nursing supply, education capacity, faculty, wellbeing, and workforce projections. Her work also extends nationally through the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers, where she serves in multiple leadership roles, including Research Committee Co-Chair and Outcomes Task Force Co-Chair. In addition, Carrie serves as Chair of the Hawaiʻi Board of Nursing and has presented widely on workforce development, recruitment, retention, and data-informed decision-making for healthcare organizations and educational institutions.
Carrie holds a PhD in Communication from Michigan State University and both her M.A. and B.A. in Communicology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her recent honors include the American Association of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Excellence and the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers’ Exceptional Contribution award.
Quality & Regulatory
Tina Marie Truncellito Laupola, DNP, EBP-C, PMH-BC
Tina is a behavioral health and healthcare quality leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing psychiatric nursing practice, behavioral health quality, patient safety, suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, and regulatory readiness. Her work spans hospital and community-based settings, with deep expertise in adult and adolescent behavioral health, chemical dependency, evidence-based practice, and system-level performance improvement.
She currently serves as Director of Quality at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, where she leads organizational quality, patient safety, accreditation readiness, and enterprise performance improvement, while also directing suicide prevention and behavioral risk screening efforts. Earlier at The Queen’s Medical Center, Tina held multiple quality and clinical leadership roles and supported the development of behavioral health best practices for psychiatric and other vulnerable populations, including trauma survivors and pediatric behavioral health patients. She began her nursing career in direct psychiatric care in Queen’s Family Treatment Center and previously worked in psychiatric and chemical dependency services at Summit Oaks Hospital.
Tina holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Capella University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rutgers University. She is board certified in psychiatric-mental health nursing and evidence-based practice and serves in academic roles with the University of Hawaiʻi and Chaminade University. Her scholarship includes work on trauma, addiction, therapeutic programming, and behavioral health practice improvement.
Clinical & Subject Matter Experts
Allana Coffee, PhD, LMHC
Allana is a licensed psychologist, educator, and leadership coach with decades of experience in psychotherapy, trauma-informed care, program development, and community education. Her work spans clinical practice, workforce development, school and family systems, and leadership training, with particular depth in domestic violence, trauma, parenting, communication, and behavioral health support for adults, adolescents, and families.
She has maintained a long-standing private practice providing individual, family, and group cognitive behavioral therapy, and has served in clinical roles with Kaiser Permanente, Hawaiʻi Behavioral Health, Child and Family Services, and Family Court. In addition to her clinical work, Allana is co-owner of Honolulu Psychology Collective and Open Minds Hawaii, and has consulted widely with schools, organizations, and employers on leadership development, communication, violence prevention, and mental health. Her background also includes program design and quality assurance leadership at the Family Peace Center, clinical supervision for graduate trainees, and teaching at the University of Hawaiʻi, Chaminade University, and other educational settings.
Allana holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and a clinical psychology re-specialization from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Chaminade University, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is an active member of the American Psychological Association and the Hawaiʻi Psychological Association, and her publications and trainings have focused on domestic violence, anger management, communication, and trauma-informed support for children and families.
Bryan L. Talisayan
Bryan is a transformational healthcare and nonprofit executive with more than 25 years of experience leading mission-driven organizations, expanding access to care, and strengthening systems through strategy, operations, advocacy, and partnership. He is especially skilled in building community-facing programs, securing funding, and aligning organizational growth with public policy and population needs.
He currently serves as Executive Director of Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi, where he leads statewide strategy, operations, fundraising, advocacy, and public engagement to expand mental health awareness and access. Under his leadership, the organization has grown its statewide reach and strengthened its funding and partnership base. Earlier, Bryan served in executive leadership roles with PHOCUSED, Wahiawa Center for Community Health, Koolauloa Health Center, and Waikiki Health, where he led integrated healthcare operations, behavioral health and prevention programming, federal funding initiatives, and system transformation efforts, including electronic medical record implementation and expansion of HIV/AIDS and dental services.
Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration from Bellevue University and completed a Healthcare Executive Certificate Program through UCLA. His experience makes him a strong asset in initiatives requiring executive leadership, systems integration, policy advocacy, and community trust.
Eleu Zane, RN, BSN, BS
Eleu is a nursing leader and behavioral health systems strategist with more than 18 years of experience in care coordination, community-based program development, and cross-sector systems design. She is known for building practical solutions that bridge behavioral health, substance use, homelessness, justice involvement, and medically complex care across the continuum.
She currently serves as Supervisor of Care Coordination at Maui Memorial Medical Center, where she leads hospital-based initiatives to improve access, reduce waitlists, strengthen discharge planning, and support high-acuity behavioral health and medically complex patients. She is also founder and leader of the Maui Medical Respite Hui, which she grew from a small working group into a 50-plus member coalition coordinating behavioral health, respite, housing, and community care solutions across Maui. Her work through the Hui has informed state-level planning, helped secure new respite capacity, and shaped reimbursement and care criteria for community-based models. Eleu also has experience across payer case management, utilization review, hospital access, and statewide clinical documentation leadership.
Eleu holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hawaiʻi Pacific University and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of San Francisco. Her work stands out for its blend of frontline operational insight, coalition building, and practical system innovation for high-need populations.
Jerry Coffee, LCSW
Jerry is a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and executive leadership facilitator with decades of experience in behavioral health, trauma, organizational development, and human services leadership. His work bridges direct clinical care, executive coaching, workforce development, and systems improvement across healthcare, homelessness, behavioral health, and employee assistance settings.
He currently leads a private therapy practice serving adults and adolescents and is co-owner of Honolulu Psychology Collective, where he helps oversee a group psychotherapy practice of affiliate clinicians. Jerry also serves as a lecturer and facilitator with Classic Leadership Institute, delivering intensive leadership training for executive-level leaders across the country. Previously, he served as Clinical Director at the Institute for Human Services, where he oversaw clinical programming, workforce support, program development, critical incident debriefing, and services for medically fragile, re-entry, and highly vulnerable populations. His earlier leadership roles included CARE Hawaiʻi, United Health, Kaiser Permanente, Straub, Kamehameha Schools, and domestic violence, youth, and community mental health programs.
Jerry holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Chico. He is also the author of multiple trauma- and violence-informed curricula developed for Hawaiʻi communities and systems.
Melissa Dittberner, PhD, MA
Melissa is an addiction, prevention, recovery, and trauma-informed systems leader whose work spans higher education, street medicine, peer support, telehealth, stigma reduction, and behavioral health innovation. She brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective that bridges academic training, community implementation, and emerging models of addiction and recovery support.
She serves as Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of South Dakota and has also held faculty roles at Hawaiʻi Pacific University and other institutions. Beyond academia, Melissa is Executive Director of Midwest Street Medicine, a consultant with the Opioid Response Network, and founder of multiple recovery- and prevention-focused initiatives. Her work includes training and technical assistance on harm reduction, trauma, stigma reduction, peer support, overdose prevention, telehealth, and substance use systems, with presentations and project leadership across community, healthcare, government, and national innovation settings. She has also contributed to SAMHSA-related recovery innovation work and served as a SAMHSA grant peer reviewer.
Melissa holds a PhD in Counseling and Psychology in Education, a master’s degree in Addiction Studies, and a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, all from the University of South Dakota. Her recent honors include Innovator of the Year, Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching and Service Excellence, and multiple national leadership and entrepreneurship recognitions.
Communications
Beth-Ann Kozlovich, BA
Beth-Ann is a communications, community engagement, and nonprofit strategy leader with decades of experience helping organizations build trust, shape public understanding, and strengthen stakeholder relationships. She is especially skilled at translating complex issues into compelling, accessible narratives and guiding organizations through community-facing communications, fundraising, and public engagement.
Her background includes executive leadership roles with Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance and Communications Pacific, as well as senior communications and development roles at Sutter Health Kāhi Mōhala, where she directed internal and external communications, public relations, government affairs, fundraising, and COVID-19 incident communications for Hawaiʻi’s only freestanding psychiatric hospital. She also represented the hospital on the Mental Health Task Force and the Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi Advocacy Committee. Earlier, Beth-Ann spent nearly two decades at Hawaiʻi Public Radio, where she created and hosted major public affairs programming known for thoughtful, trusted coverage of community, government, nonprofit, and health issues.
Beth-Ann holds a B.A. in English Literature from UCLA. Her honors include a national Clarion Award, NAMI Hawaiʻi’s Jean Butler Chapin SEA Award, and other recognitions for media and community impact. She has also served on numerous nonprofit and civic boards, including Mental Health America Hawaiʻi.
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