Morning Breakout Session: Room 305
Paddy Kauhane is the President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii (BGCH). With 30+ years in nonprofits, Paddy is the first woman and Native Hawaiian to lead BGCH, expanding access to after-school youth development for nearly 10,000 young people annually across O‘ahu and Kaua‘i. She previously served on the executive teams at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum and Life Foundation. Under her leadership, BGCH has strengthened operations, programming, healthy-meals access, and outcomes such as graduation rates and test scores. Her honors include the 2025 Ho‘okele Award (HCF), BGCA’s Pacific Region (2024) and National (2025) Herman S. Prescott Awards, PBN Most Admired Leaders (2023), and CNHA ‘Ōiwi Leadership Award (2022); she is a White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellow and member of HCF’s Emerging Leaders Cohort.
April Katada is the Vice President of Operations of American Floor & Home (100% Employee-Owned). April leads enterprise operations for AF&H, bringing experience managing retail businesses from $5M to $100M. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration (HPU) and Executive Education in Business Analytics (Wharton). Focused on a culture of ownership, April develops team members and leaders to their full potential in service to the community and has served on the board of The Salvation Army Echelon – West O‘ahu.
Monique Wall is the Business Development Manager at Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union. As a Certified Financial Coach & Financial Wellness Leader she has 20+ years in the credit-union industry, Monique partners with employers to deliver practical, relatable financial-wellness programs that help employees make informed decisions for themselves and their families. She specializes in tailored workshops, from budgeting foundations to more complex planning. Monique’s community work includes eight years on the board of Weed and Seed Hawai‘i, supporting sustainable programs for underserved youth and kūpuna; she brings a mission-driven approach that emphasizes stability, peace of mind, and opportunity.
Nā Aliʻi Grantham is the People & Culture Manager at Tony Group. Nā Aliʻi leads people and culture strategy and oversees HR (benefits, payroll, recruiting), focusing on employee engagement, organizational culture, and leadership development. He draws on a decade in hospitality and 5+ years in HR to design programs that help employees feel connected, valued, and inspired to grow.
Previously, he led community-service and cultural initiatives - including hotel cultural programming - and has supported local mental-health nonprofits through past board service, reflecting a commitment to thriving workplaces and community well-being. Nā Aliʻi currently sits on the SHRM Hawaii Membership Committee.
Retention Reimagined:
Empowering HR to Keep Top Talent
Retention is more than keeping employees - it’s about keeping the right ones. This session is designed for HR professionals who want a strategic, data-informed approach to retaining top talent. Learn how to leverage analytics, targeted engagement strategies, and career development tools to reduce turnover and build a workplace where high performers thrive.
What you’ll learn
Identify key drivers of retention across roles and segments
Use HR analytics to surface turnover risks and prioritize actions
Run effective stay interviews and turn insights into follow-through
Align career development with employee aspirations and internal mobility
Build a culture of recognition, inclusion, and growth that keeps talent engaged
This session is moderated by:
Nicole Tchelistcheff, SHRM CP, HR Generalist Manager at Enterprise Mobility.
Morning Breakout Session: Room 308
Future Starts Now:
Building Hawaii’s Workforce Pipeline
Wanelle Kaneshiro-Erdmann is the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Education’s Workforce Development Branch. The Workforce Development Branch aims to increase authentic work-based learning opportunities for public school students through partnerships with businesses and industry sectors to advance career and technical education, and to enable students to be globally competitive and locally committed.
Keala Monaco is the Director of Workforce Innovation for the UH Community Colleges, where she manages various workforce projects and grants. She previously served as Executive Assistant to the UH President and as Program Manager at the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship. Born and raised in Southern California, she earned her BA from Pomona College and her MA/MBA from UH Mānoa. The Workforce Innovation team at the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges (UHCC) collaborates with federal, state, and county economic and workforce development agencies on analysis, planning, policy issues, and the development of innovative training programs that improve Hawai‘i’s labor force.
Janna Hoshide is the VP of Workforce Development at the Healthcare Association of Hawaii (HAH), representing 170 healthcare organizations across the continuum of care. The workforce development role was created in 2020 as part of HAH’s Healthcare Workforce Initiative, a statewide collaboration of leaders in healthcare, education, and business working to meet provider workforce needs. As the lead of HAH’s Workforce Initiative and the Healthcare Sector Partnership Collaborative, she has developed innovative workforce programs for high school students and adults statewide. She has 20+ years in healthcare—including strategy, HR, and organizational development—and will share practical examples to build talent pipelines and navigate the workforce ecosystem.
Heather Ryland, SPHR, has been the Sr. Director, Talent Acquisition at Hawaiian Airlines since 2019. Previously, she served as Director of Talent Acquisition for 99 Cents Only Stores (Los Angeles) and completed a 20-year tenure at AMC Theatres as Director of Diversity, Recruitment & Development (Leawood, KS). Heather will share workforce development initiatives Hawaiian has undertaken with students and teachers to build its future talent pipeline.
Aaron Takasaki-Young is the Interim Deputy Chief of Administrative Operations for the Honolulu Police Department (HPD). A graduate of Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawai‘i, he has 24+ years with HPD, serving in patrol divisions, Narcotics/Vice, Criminal Investigation, the Professional Standards Office, and Human Resources. He will share HPD’s proactive recruitment efforts, including its partnership with the DOE to engage teachers and the Teacher Externship program’s positive impact on staffing.
The fight for future talent isn’t tomorrow’s problem - it’s today’s. Hawai‘i’s employers have a unique opportunity to partner with the Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i Workforce Innovation partners to shape the pipeline now. It’s about connecting the dots.
In this 1-hour session facilitated by Stevette Santiago, you’ll hear directly from public, private, and trade sector employers who are turning internships, teacher externships, and other hands-on experiences into powerful recruitment and branding tools. Learn how to connect with students and teachers early, showcase your organization, and build a steady stream of future-ready talent.
Don’t wait for talent to come to you - discover how to grow it.
In this session, you will:
Gain insights into Hawai‘i’s Career Pathway System within the Department of Education.
Discover workforce partnership opportunities within the Department of Education, including student internships and teacher externships.
Discover workforce partnership opportunities within the University of Hawai‘i ecosystem.
Be inspired by sector partners and employers who have had success in building their talent pipeline with our educational system.
Session facilitated by:
Stevette Santiago, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is the Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources and Brand Officer, UHA Health Insurance. Stevette is a distinguished leader in human resources and organizational culture. With a career spanning multiple industries, she has held executive HR roles at Young Brothers, LLC, Y. Hata & Co., Ltd., HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union, and Spirent Communications.
Known for aligning people strategies with business goals, Stevette has led initiatives in talent management, leadership development, employee engagement, and organizational transformation—cultivating workplaces that are both high-performing and people-centered. She also contributes to Hawai‘i’s HR community as a member of the SHRM Hawaii Workforce Development Committee, advancing efforts to strengthen the local talent pipeline.
Morning Breakout Session: Lili`u Theater
Smart HR:
Leveraging AI for Strategic Impact
Your next update in the Year of Change is on the way.
Afternoon Breakout Session: Room 305
From Clash to Collaboration:
Leading Multi-Generational Teams
Cindy Sakai is co-owner and co-founder of TH!NK® LLC, an award-winning talent and development consultancy serving Hawai‘i companies since 2000. With deep experience as a senior leadership coach, Cindy has partnered with executives across the islands to build programs that engage employees and deliver results.
At the SHRM Hawaii Conference & Expo 2025 (SHCX25) our theme, “The Year of Change”, highlights the powerful transformations shaping today’s workplaces. One of the most meaningful shifts is the reality of four generations working side by side.
Each generation brings its own history, values, and perspectives, creating both challenges and opportunities. By pausing to understand these differences, HR professionals can help turn generational diversity into a source of connection growth, and shared purpose.
This 1-hour session will provide practical tools to help managers lead more effectively across generational lines. You will learn about:
Generational Values: How each generation forms and the impact they bring, especial Gen Z.
Communication & Expectations: Understanding engagement preferences across generations.
Leadership Approaches: Foster collaboration and inclusion by adapting to diverse needs.
Future-Ready Culture: Build sustainable practices to lead multi-generational teams.
Afternoon Breakout Session: Room 308
Raquel Montezuma Hicks, MA is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Punahou School. Raquel is an accomplished HR leader with deep expertise in organizational development and a commitment to mission-driven nonprofits. She previously spent 16 years at Hawai‘i Pacific Health as Director of Organizational Effectiveness, where she created the enduring Bridge to Leadership program - advancing physicians, nurses, and staff into senior roles - and helped the system earn the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award nine times while improving patient-experience outcomes.
She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of San Diego and M.A. degrees in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior from the California School of Professional Psychology. Raquel serves as Board President, Honolulu Habitat for Humanity.
Alison Zecha is the Founder & Executive Coach of Alison Zecha, Inc. (Coach AZ). Alison leads a boutique coaching firm based in Honolulu, providing executive coaching and leadership/team development across Hawai‘i, the mainland U.S., and Canada; she is a Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence–certified coach focused on heart-centered, courageous leadership. She serves as an executive coach for the Omidyar Fellows (Hawai‘i Leadership Forum) and as senior advisor for executive & leadership coaching at Hawai‘i Pacific Health; previously, she was HPH’s System Director of Organizational Effectiveness and internal executive coach.
A magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University (B.A. in Social Psychology), Alison holds multiple credentials in leadership, OE, and OD.
Bernard K. Nunies, SHRM-SCP is the Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer of Tradewind Group. Bernard is a seasoned executive with 25+ years of international leadership experience. He leads People & Administrative Services for Tradewind Group and its portfolio companies in real estate and private equity, technology, and insurance, and is active in the community as an HR certification instructor and speaker. A longtime SHRM volunteer (since 2014), Bernard has served as SHRM Hawaii State Council Director and President and currently sits on the SHRM Hawaii Board Advisory Council.
Building your Bench:
Preparing Middle Managers for the C-Suite
Many organizations don’t lack talent—they lack preparation. This session gives HR leaders a practical blueprint to build a future-ready leadership bench by equipping middle managers with the skills, mindset, and exposure needed for executive roles. Learn to spot readiness gaps, design high-impact development (rotations, stretch roles, coaching, sponsorship), and align leadership growth with business strategy so your pipeline keeps pace with change.
Key takeaways from this session include:
Improve succession readiness: Ensure qualified leaders are ready for critical roles.
Reduce leadership turnover risk: Develop internal talent to curb costly external hires.
Enhance strategic workforce planning: Link development to long-term business goals.
Boost engagement & retention: Give high-potentials a clear path to advancement.
Strengthen organizational resilience: Build a pipeline that supports growth and change.
Afternoon Breakout Session: Lili`u Theater
Saulo M. Corneil is the Federal EEO Investigator, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Honolulu Local Office. Saulo joined the EEOC in September 2022. The Honolulu office serves Hawai‘i, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Wake Island. Prior to the EEOC, he served 24 years in the U.S. Air Force with assignments in Germany, Japan, Korea, and Australia. He holds a B.A. in Organizational Management and an M.S. in Organizational Development Leadership.
Arthur “Roy” Talaeai is the Administrator, Hawai‘i Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH). Roy has served as HIOSH Administrator since March 2025 and began with HIOSH in 2006 as an Environmental Health Specialist, later becoming Health Branch Manager (2021). He has conducted or led hundreds of inspections and whistleblower investigations. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly 20 years across research, education, health care, social services, construction, and warehousing. He is committed to mentoring staff and advancing workplace safety for Hawai‘i.
Herbert Lee serves as the Community Outreach & Regional Planning Specialist, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Herbert joined the WHD in September 2009 as a Wage and Hour Investigator, enforcing the FLSA, DBA, SCA, MSPA, Break Time for Nursing Mothers, and FMLA. He provides compliance assistance to community organizations across Hawai‘i and partners with federal, state, and non-governmental agencies on wage and hour issues.
Min Kirk is the Acting District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, WHD Hawai‘i District Office. Min joined WHD in 2003, later serving as Senior Investigative Advisor (2009) and Assistant District Director (2010), leading complex investigations and mentoring investigators statewide. Previously, she was HR Director in Saipan’s garment industry and worked with the DOI Federal Ombudsman. She holds a law degree and has earned multiple awards for safeguarding workers’ wages and conditions.
Compliance in Focus:
2025 DOL, EEOC, HIOSH Updates for HR Professionals
Stay ahead of 2025 changes with a concise briefing built for HR leaders. Focusing on major updates from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and Hawai‘i Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH), this session delivers timely federal and state regulatory changes and clear guidance to meet new compliance requirements - helping you avoid penalties and keep operations running smoothly. You’ll learn how to align compliance with workforce planning, reinforce evolving DEI and workplace safety mandates, and strengthen risk management. Walk away audit-ready with practical tools and checklists you can use immediately.
In this 1-hour session you will learn how to:
Review major 2025 updates from DOL, EEOC, and HIOSH
Understand new enforcement priorities and emerging compliance risks
Update HR policies & procedures to meet new standards
Prepare for audits, inspections, and legal challenges
Promote inclusive, safe, and lawful workplace practices
Mega Legal Session: Lili`u Theater
Jennifer Rose is the Vice President & Corporate Counsel at Bank of Hawaii.
Jennifer manages the bank’s litigation portfolio and advises on employment and labor matters, including disciplinary actions, wage-and-hour compliance, investigations, accommodations and protected leave, contractor and immigration issues, recruitment practices, policies, and employee training.
Previously, she was a Senior Associate at Torkildson Katz, representing employers in employment and labor matters before state and federal courts and in arbitrations. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, where she served as Executive Editor of the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, and her B.A. from Indiana University.
Amanda Donlin acts as the Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Employment Law Division, State of Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General. Amanda leads counsel and litigation support for state agencies on employment and labor matters, drawing on more than a decade of public-sector legal experience. She represents the State in administrative proceedings and in state and federal court. She holds a J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law and a B.A. from New York University.
Kenji Price is the Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU). Kenji oversees HPU’s legal operations and advises on labor and employment, intellectual property, real estate transactions, and regulatory compliance; his career spans public service and private practice and includes serving as the United States Attorney for Hawai‘i.
He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Gonzaga University, and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.
Mega Legal Session:
Get the Inside Scoop from Your General Counsel
In a Year of Change, HR is navigating shifting rules, rising expectations, and real-time risk. In this 1-hour session, private and public-sector in-house attorneys will share what they’re seeing inside their organizations - the most common employment issues, practical ways to navigate today’s labor and employment landscape, and how to stay squarely compliant with the law.
You will hear about the importance of:
Legal compliance: Update policies regularly and stay current with employment laws.
Avoiding legal landmines: Recognize and address common workplace issues before they escalate.
Regular training: Provide ongoing, law-focused training to keep managers informed and accountable.
Identification & prevention: Apply HR best practices to spot issues early and prevent problems.