STAFF AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Leslie Wilkins
Interim Chair, Director, EDAH Board
President & CEO, Maui Economic Development Board
Leslie Wilkins joined MEDB in 1999 to launch its Women in Technology program and in 2000 she was elected Vice President by MEDB’s Board of Directors. Leslie directs the Women in Technology (WIT) Project which has grown from a Maui pilot to a national demonstration project, funded in part by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education and Agriculture. The program serves a statewide constituency of more than 21,000 students, teachers, and industry members each year.
Catherine Awakuni Colón
Treasurer, Director, EDAH Board
President and CEO, Oahu Economic Development Board
Catherine Awakuni Colón is the President and CEO of the Oʻahu Economic Development Board (OEDB), a nonprofit fostering a healthy economy on Oʻahu through the growth, retention and recruitment of businesses that support appropriate jobs for the people of Hawaiʻi. Before joining OEDB, Catherine provided twenty years of public service to the State of Hawaiʻi in various roles, including the Director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Cable Administrator, the Consumer Advocate for public utilities, and the Chief Legal Counsel for the Public Utilities Commission. Catherine holds a B.B.A. (Accounting) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a J.D. from the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law.
Gary Kai
Assistant Treasurer, Director, EDAH Board
Executive Director, Hawaii Business Roundtable
Gary Kai has been the Executive Director of the Hawaii Business Roundtable since July, 2009. He has an extensive background in the financial services industry with over 30 years of experience. Gary was a Senior Vice President and General Manager with HomeStreet Bank Hawaii. He was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of Finance Factors, Ltd., and served as Senior Vice President of First Hawaiian Bank in Honolulu. Gary holds an M.B.A. in Business Administration from Harvard University and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Hawaii. He is a Certified Mortgage Banker and has the distinction of being the first person in the state of Hawaii to receive the designation. He currently serves on the Boards of the Hawaii Home Ownership Center, Move Oahu Forward, Joint Venture Education Forum, Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii, the Hawaii P-20 Council and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii Military Affairs Council (MAC) Executive Committee. In 2011, Gary was appointed to the U. S. Department of Labor Advisory Committee on Veteran’s Employment, Training and Employer Outreach. He has served on a number of Boards including President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Hawaii, Chairman of the Diamond Theatre, President of the Hawaii DARE Board of Governors, President of Homeless Solutions, Chairman of the Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corporation, the Palama Settlement Board of Trustees and the Aha Punana Leo.
Shawn Uehira
Secretary, Director, EDAH Board
Energy Contract Manager, Hawaiian Electric Company
Shawn Uehira is an Energy Contract Manager in Renewable Acquisition Division at the Hawaiian Electric Company. Prior to joining Hawaiian Electric, she was a Project Coordinator for SSFM International, and a Business Associate at the Oahu Economic Development Board. For the past several years, Shawn has worked in finance and accounting for numerous Statewide projects including those related to renewable energy, system reliability, and community resources. Shawn is a graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute and holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Pacific University, and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Island Business from Chaminade University.
Jeanne Unemori Skog
Director, EDAH Board
Jeanne Unemori Skog is a member of Skog Rasmussen LLC, a consulting firm, which specializes in designing strategies that spur community and economic development. Skog Rasmussen builds on the strength of their relationships and knowledge of community values to assist with solutions for residents and businesses. During her 33-year tenure with the Maui Economic Development Board, 19 years as its President & CEO, she greatly expanded its assistance to technology-based businesses, strengthened the ability of residents to qualify for careers in those fields, and created meaningful ways of engaging the community in Maui County’s economic future. Jeanne’s continues to serve the state and the community of her birth as a volunteer member of the Hawaii Budget & oooKa Ipu Kukui young leaders’ program, the Maui Food Technology Center, and the K-12 St. Anthony School, her alma mater.
Nelson Lau
Director, EDAH Board
Retired Managing Partner, KPMG LLP
John Harrisson
Director, EDAH Board
Program Director, Research & Analysis, Maui Economic Development Board
John Harrisson is the Director of Research and Analysis, Maui Economic Development Board. Raised and educated in the United Kingdom, John graduated from St. Paul’s School in London and holds Economics degrees from Oxford University and the University of Sussex. Beginning his career with the Institute of Manpower Studies at the University of Sussex, John was then appointed Research Fellow at Columbia University in New York at the Conservation of Human Resources Department, under Prof. Eli Ginzberg, Economic Adviser to eight U.S. Presidents. John later was appointed Manpower Adviser for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Over his career, John has authored or co-authored more than 40 books and articles in the fields of economics, food-related subjects, and Maui history. A resident of Maui for 25 years, John joined MEDB in his current position in 2008. He played an instrumental role in assembling the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) reports for Maui County over the last two cycles (2010 and 2016) and will continue his role for the forthcoming 2022 CEDS. John has also worked on projects for MEDB relating to Water Resources, Renewable Energy, Healthcare, and Community Engagement. He has held a Hawaii Real Estate license for over 20 years and has overseen MEDB capital improvement projects and leasing during his tenure. John is an Episcopal Eucharistic Minister, Vestry member and former Senior Warden, and a longstanding football (soccer) referee at youth, high school and adult levels.
Mark McGuffie
Director, EDAH Board
Private Philanthropy Officer, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Currently, Mark McGuffie serves as Private Philanthropy Officer for International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). As the former Managing Director of Oahu Economic Development Board, he was responsible for promoting and assisting business development in Hawaii to support the initiatives of the organization, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, food security, agricultural development, education and workforce development. Mark organizes business conferences in Hawaii focused on improving the quality of life for the people of Hawaii, improving the natural environment and creating effective business models to complement emerging industries. He has nearly ten years of experience managing a variety of grants from federal, state and county agencies, as well as from private foundations. Prior to joining Enterprise Honolulu, Mark was the Executive Director of the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board. Since 2005 Mark has served on the board of the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii; he also serves on the Boards of Friends of the Future; Hawaii Aerospace Advisory Committee; the Center for International Business Education and Research - University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business and is an Advisor to the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature - World Conservation Congress. In 2003, Mark founded an annual community leadership series called Ulumau that perpetuates the growth of community leaders on Hawaii Island. His former executive experience includes 35 years of luxury hotel and resort development and operations and was Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee for Preferred Hotel Worldwide with 104 independent hotels and resorts in 52 countries - he attended Cornell University for Professional Development.
David Tumilowicz
Director, EDAH Board
Vice President, Kaiser Permanente
David Tumilowicz is senior director of marketing and community health for Kaiser Permanente. Prior to his current role, Tumilowicz served in a variety of positions including director of account management, director of sales operations and strategic market planning, and director of business engagement.
Tumilowicz was formerly publisher of Hawaii Business and Hawaii magazines, and as vice-president at PacificBasin Communications, Hawaii’s largest magazine publishing house. During his time at Hawaii Business, Tumilowicz founded Hawaii’s largest conference for businesswomen and community leaders, the Wahine Forum.
Tumilowicz is invested serving the Hawaii community. He currently serves as a board member on the Oahu Economic Development Board, Kapolei Chamber of Commerce, and Domestic Violence Action Center. He is an alumnus of the Pacific Century Fellows leadership program and the Kaiser Permanente Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.
Tumilowicz holds his BA in Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University and a MA in Sociology from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D.
Director, EDAH Board
Executive Director, American Judicature Society
Sylvia Yuen, Executive Director of the American Judicature Society, formerly served as the Executive Director of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘I (RCUH), Special Assistant to the University of Hawaii President for food security and safety, and as the Interim Dean and Director of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), the first woman to lead the college. She also served as the Director of the Center on the Family, CTAHR’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UH-Manoa’s Director of Equal Employment Opportunity, and UH’s Employee Relations Administrator. Sylvia’s graduate work was conducted at the University of Illinois and University of Hawaii, and she received additional training at the University of Chicago (gerontology), University of Michigan (research on Asian/Pacific Islanders), and Harvard University (management). Her publications have targeted both professional and community audiences, and she and her colleagues have won awards for their website, videotape, and other work. She has received more than $22 million in extramural grants and contracts. Sylvia is the recipient of both CTAHR and Maryknoll High School’s Outstanding Alumnus Award, three excellence in teaching awards, commendations from the Hawaii State Legislature for distinguished service to the state, the YWCA Community Leader award, and numerous other honors.
Jaclyn Kaina
Director, EDAH Board
Laurie Yoshida
Director, EDAH Board
