Robert Bruhl
Robert Bruhl is the vice president for development at D. R. Horton-Schuler Division. He is responsible for all land acquisition, land management and stewardship, commercial operations, civil planning and permitting, and site construction for statewide operations. Bob previously worked at the Cypress Group, a private equity investment firm in New York. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Boston College and is currently on the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Pacific Historic Parks.
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Jodi Endo Chai
Jodi Endo Chai is the senior advisor for the Hawaii Government Employees Association. She serves as the chief of staff with primary responsibility for the union’s organizational and strategic planning efforts, and oversees its communications and human resource programs. Jodi was born and raised in Wahiawa and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis on public relations from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is a board member of the Aloha United Way.
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Colton Ching
Colton Ching is the vice president of energy delivery at Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. He leads a team of 600 employees that is responsible for the engineering, construction, and maintenance of Oahu's electric transmission and distribution infrastructure. In 2011, Colton served as co-incident commander for preparations and operations for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Colton grew up on the island of Maui, graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer. He also serves as a director on the corporate board of the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii and as a member of the Civil Defense Advisory Council.
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Donalyn Dela Cruz
Donalyn Dela Cruz is the director of communications and community outreach at the Hawaii Department of Education. In addition to establishing the communications office and overseeing communications for the department, which includes the state's 255 public schools, she also assists the superintendent with communications strategy and public affairs. Donalyn is the former deputy director of communications for the State of Hawaii, Office of the Governor. She previously worked at Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the Democratic Party of Hawaii, the office of U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka, and KHON TV2. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is also an advisory board member for Aha Punana Leo, a non-profit organization dedicated to the perpetuation of the Hawaiian language.
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Forest Frizzell
Forest Frizzell is the chief information officer for the Hawaii Community Foundation, a statewide charitable services and grantmaking foundation. Forest oversees technology support for the organization and assists in communication strategy for foundation initiatives. Forest is a lead stakeholder in and will oversee the foundation's engagement with the State of Hawaii's Office of Information Management and Technology's transformation strategic plan. Prior to his current position, Forest was the deputy director for the City and County of Honolulu's Information Technology department. There, he championed a range of first-time initiatives that resulted in Honolulu's designation as the number one digital city in the country in 2011. Forest has a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He sits on the CIO Council of Hawaii and Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii Alliance Board, and volunteers with Parents and Children Together.
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Jason Fujimoto
Jason Fujimoto is the chief operating officer for HPM Building Supply, a 100 percent employee-owned company founded by his family in Hilo in 1921. Jason oversees all of HPM’s corporate, distribution, and manufacturing operations on Hawaii island, Oahu, and Kauai. Over the last several years he has helped expand the company's operations statewide, including its most recent acquisition of Kauai Lumber, Inc. in 2011. Prior to returning home, Jason worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York, NY. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and is currently on the board of PBS Hawaii.
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Noelani Kalipi
Noelani Kalipi is the president of the Ti Leaf Group, Inc., an advocacy firm focused on community-based economic development, clean tech, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and food, agricultural, and data security. Noelani has local experience in serving native communities in Hawaii, and national experience having previously worked for U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka in Washington, D.C. She also served with the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Noelani has a bachelor’s degree in government politics and economics from George Mason University and a law degree from George Washington University National Law Center.
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Kaiu Kimura
Kaiu Kimura is the executive director at the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii. She manages and oversees all aspects of the astronomy center operations including the planetarium, exhibit hall, gift shop, restaurant operations and educational outreach. Kaiu has held previous positions at the Imiloa Astronomy Center, working first as the curriculum coordinator, then experience coordinator and associate director. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian studies and a master’s degree in Hawaiian language and literature from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Kaiu is on the boards of Hawaii Island Workforce and Economic Development Ohana, Aha Punana Leo and the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce.
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Karen C. Lee
Karen C. Lee is an associate vice president at the University of Hawaii and the executive director of Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education. Together with the University of Hawaii president, Department of Education superintendent, and Early Learning Council chair, Karen provides leadership and direction to the Hawaii P-20 Council. Hawaii P-20’s programs include the Hawaii P-3 initiative which promotes partnerships in the early learning community, the Statewide Longitudinal Data System which will track student progress across agencies, and GEAR UP Hawaii and the Step Up Initiative, designed to increase student readiness for post-high school success. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Columbia University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California.
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Marissa Sandblom
Marissa Sandblom is the vice president of Grove Farm Company, Inc. headquartered on Kauai. As one of the island’s largest private landowners, Grove Farm has transitioned itself from a sugar plantation to a sustainable community and economic development firm. Marissa previously worked as the finance and business development officer at the Kauai Economic Development Board. She earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Hawaii Pacific University. Marissa is the director and chair of the Agribusiness Development Corporation, and serves on the board of the Kauai Visitor’s Bureau, PBS Hawaii and Kauai Planning and Action Alliance.
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Jerrod Schreck
Jerrod Schreck is the president of Hoku Solar and chief strategy officer of Hoku Corporation where he is charged with pursuing and developing strategic business opportunities. Under his leadership, Hoku Solar completed the first ever 1+megawatt photovoltaic farm on Oahu and was selected as the design-build contractor for the largest solar energy facility in the state. Jerrod also has previous experience at the Nature Conservancy and was an officer in the U.S. Navy. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree in international affairs from the Institute for the Study of International Politics in Milan, Italy.
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Kaiulani Sodaro
Kaiulani Sodaro is the director of enterprise planning and sustainability and formerly the interim director of the facilities development and support division at Kamehameha Schools where she oversaw and managed the major repair and capital improvement portfolio for the educational and support space enterprise-wide. Prior to Kamehameha Schools, Kaiulani worked at Maui Land and Pineapple, Inc. and Hilton Hotels Corporation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration from Cornell University and a master’s degree in planning from the University of Southern California. Kaiulani is a member of the American Planning Association Hawaii chapter, a member of the Renewable Energy Committee at Enterprise Honolulu and chair of the City and County of Honolulu Planning Commission.
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Joshua Wisch
Joshua Wisch is the deputy director for the State of Hawaii Department of Taxation, where his work includes oversight of the department's several divisions as well as its Tax-System Modernization program. Prior to serving at the Tax Department, Joshua was the special assistant to the Attorney General in the State of Hawaii, Department of the Attorney General, the district director for Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, and an attorney at both Chun, Kerr, Dodd, Beaman & Wong, and Cades Schutte. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public policy and management at Carnegie Mellon University and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
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