Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & LeadershipWelcomes Cohort 10 of Hawaii’s Emerging Women Leaders
August 11, 2026, Honolulu, HI — The Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance, Hawaii’s premier leadership program dedicated to empowering established women professionals, is proud to announce the selection of 21 distinguished leaders for its tenth cohort, starting August 21.
“As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance, we are proud to welcome this outstanding cohort of women leaders,” said Brittany Montilliano, Director of the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership. “For a decade, this program has empowered women to lead with confidence, purpose, and impact. Investing in their growth is not only vital to their success—it’s essential to building a stronger, more equitable Hawaiʻi.”
The following prominent women leaders have been selected for the 2025–2026 cohort:
• Mahea Alcon (Vice President, Payment Services Manager, American Savings Bank)
• Dannah Barnes (Executive Director, Read To Me International Foundation)
• Cecily Ching (Vice President & Manager, Trust Real Estate Services, First Hawaiian Bank)
• Shayna Decker (Director, Government and Community Affairs – Maui County, Hawaiian Electric)
• Bianca Fairburn (Senior Enlisted Leader, Hawai‘i Air National Guard)
• Nichole Field (Upper School Principal, St. Andrew’s Schools)
• Chantel Fonseca (Senior Program Consultant, Customer Experience, Bank of Hawai‘i)
• Kimberly Fujita (Senior Manager, Service Delivery & Operations – Advanced Services, Hawaiian Telcom)
• Lana Gurianova (Financial Manager, Pacific Gateway Center)
• Pōlani Moʻokini (Senior Communications Manager, Under My Umbrella Inc.)
• Miyuki Noji (Senior Vice President & Director, International Private Banking, Central Pacific Bank)
• Vivian Pham (Community Health Operations Lead, Kaiser Permanente)
• Jodi Robinson (Policy Director, Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations - HANO)
• Kapiolani Street (Manager - Engineering & Site Development, Castle & Cooke Homes Hawai‘i, Inc.)
• Bev Tagami (Senior Interior Designer, WCIT)
• Summer Uwono (Chief Financial Officer, Partners in Development Foundation)
• Christy Valledor (Vice President of Organizational Development, HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union)
• Francel Visini (Director of Fiscal Services/Finance, Shriners Children’s Hawai‘i)
• Cheryl Wallick (Nutrition Educator, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa - Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program)
• Aga Westfal-Conboy (VP of Marketing and Communications, Aloha United Way)
• Amanda Woo (Chief Operating Officer, Hawai‘i Pacific Health Medical Group, Hawai‘i Pacific Health)
Since its inception in 2016, the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance has graduated 171 Mink Leaders from diverse sectors including finance, healthcare, technology, law, education, construction, small business, and nonprofits. Cohort 10 will explore essential topics such as financial acumen, community and civic impact, strategic planning, and mentorship. Throughout the ten-month program, participants engage in over 100 hours of facilitated learning sessions led by respected industry experts.
“The MCBL Advisory Board remains deeply committed to empowering Hawai‘i’s women leaders,” said Phyllis Freitas, Leadership Committee Chair of the MCBL Advisory Board. “This cohort’s passion for growth and dedication to community impact is not only inspiring—it represents the kind of leadership Hawaiʻi needs to pave the way for a brighter future for future generations.”
Named after Patsy T. Mink, the first Asian-American woman and first woman from Hawai‘i elected to the U.S. Congress, the Leadership Alliance honors her legacy of proactive leadership and advocacy for women's rights and opportunities.
For more information about the Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance, visit www.mcblhawaii.org/minkleaders.