Bio: Mona P Kailiponi received her Master of Accountancy with minor emphasis on Business Administration from Brigham Young University at Provo, Utah. As Fiscal Director, she has over fifteen years hands-on experience in managing all aspects of the agency’s financial management and accounting function and responsibility for all the financial matters including agency and program planning and budgeting, RFP preparation, financial policy and procedures design, investment planning, financial information training, staff training in Federal, State and local government requirement and regulations. Since 1989, under her management in the Fiscal Department, MEO annual Single Audit reports from independent CPA audit firms show no findings relating to the financial statements and no audit findings in internal control and on compliance for major programs.

Bio:Debbie Cabebe, SPHR joined Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc in January of 2000. She has worked as a human resource professional for the past 20 years. As the Chief Human Resources Officer, she manages and administers all human resource functions, to include EEO compliance. She is the agency’s risk manager, privacy officer, and the drug and alcohol program designated employer representative (DER). Debbie provides training and support to various nonprofit organizations through MEO consulting services. She is the current chair of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Hawaii Educational Foundation, Maui District and past vice chair and secretary. She represents SHRM on the local Workforce Investment Board, and represents MEO on the Chamber of Commerce Business Education Committee. Debbie is a nationally certified Senior Professional in Human Resources, a trained mediator and is active in the community volunteering her time as a member of the Commission on the Status of Women, secretary for the Maui High School, School Community Council and in several ministries at Saint Theresa Church.

Bio: Debbie Lorenzo graduated with BA in Accounting from Seattle University. She worked as a staff accountant for five years with Coopers and Lybrand where she performed compilation, reviews, tax returns, and assisted with audits. In 1991 she joined MEO as chief accountant and in recognition of her experience and skills, the title was changed to assistant fiscal director. After 16 years with MEO she was promoted to fiscal director in 2007. She is the treasurer of the Wailuku Junior Tennis Club where her children are tennis players.

Bio:  Jennifer Okamura joined MEO in September of 2007 as a HR Administrative Specialist. Her professionalism, diplomacy and attention to detail caught the eye of management. In February Jennifer was promoted to Executive Secretary, reporting directly to MEO Executive Director Sandy Baz. Prior to MEO Jennifer worked for 2 years at Maui Memorial Medical Center as a Obstetrics Health Clerk and for 9 years as a Tour/Rooms Coordinator for JTB Hawaii in Honolulu.

Bio: Bill Curtis has over 20 years experience in business administration, accounting, estimating, contracts and project management. His first position after college was designing, programming and managing the computer systems for a container company with 12 manufacturing plants across the mainland US, Canada and Japan. After moving to Maui in 1988, he began working with several general contracting firms (JDH Ltd., Consolidated Builders, Goodfellow Brothers, and Betsill Bros.) before settling in with Dixon Homes in Lahaina in 1998 where he oversaw day to day operations and completed their remaining warranty obligations in early 2010. Projects he has managed have varied from affordable single family homes, commercial, retail tenant improvements, general site work and infrastructure and most recently custom homes. A licensed general contractor in Hawaii since 1995, he has worked on projects primarily on Maui, but also on Lanai, Kauai and the Big Island. He is a past vice-president and board member of the Maui Orchid Society, a former Maui AYSO youth soccer coach and has resided with his wife and two sons in Makawao since 1992.

Bio: Born in Honolulu, graduated from Damien Memorial High School, studied at University of Hawaii, Honolulu Community College and attained AS in Police Science. Employed with State of Hawaii and worked within various departments (Department of Social Services and Housing, University of Hawaii – Manoa). Moved to Maui from Honolulu in 1982 and continued with the State having worked for the Harbors Division and DLNR. During a seven-year period, while employed with the State, volunteered as a Reserve Police Officer with the Maui Police Department. Worked also with the Federal government and was in the employ of the Department of Treasury, U.S. Customs Service as a Customs Inspector. Since July 2002, worked at MEO, previously as a Loan Fund Manager, Program Administrator, Community Services, Maui-to-Work program, and Case Manager II.

Bio: Susie Thieman, who has more than 30 years experience in starting, owning and managing small business joined the staff of MEO BDC, after selling her successful business on Oahu, to be the primary instructor for MEO BDC’s Core Four Business Planning Course. In true entrepreneurial fashion, she took on the challenges as they were present within the MEO BDC program and went from instructor, to MEO BDC program manager to CEO in less than two years. She has grown the program to include an office on Molokai with a full-time Loan Fund Manager and instructor, and three full-time Loan Fund Managers on Maui. MEO BDC has graduated more than 1,200 students from the Core Four classes, awarded more than 600 loans for a total of just under $3,000,000. In 2006 Susie was named the Minority Small Business Champion for Maui County by the U.S. Small Business Administration and in 2009 was named the Financial Service Advocate for Maui County, also by the SBA. Susie also currently serves as the president of the Maui Non-Profit Directors Association and is a member of the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, Latin Business Maui, and the Maui Chamber of Commerce. Today, MEO BDC provides a variety of services to clients on six Hawaiian islands.

Bio:Born and raised on Molokai, I am a 1973 graduate of Molokai High School. I Lived and worked in Washington D.C. 1973 to 1976. After returning from the mainland I worked at Kaluakoi’s Sheraton Molokai Hotel from 1980 to 1987 at the front desk as desk clerk, cashier, reservationist, operator, and night auditor. In August 1987 I started working at Molokai Ranch as a Bookkeeper. As Molokai Ranch’s business grew so did my position from Supervisor, Office and HR Manager, to Administrative Manager. I was responsible for overseeing the Kaluakoi Golf Course, Maunaloa Gas Station, Water and Lease Billings, Collections, daily office operations and procedures. Before leaving Molokai Ranch in August of 2009, I was responsible for securing and the sale of assets on the Molokai property. On the personal side, my husband has had a business on Molokai for over 30 years and is semi-retired. I have four children, my oldest son a manager for Office Depot on Oahu, my second son is in the family business on Molokai, my oldest daughter is a Nurse Practitioner on Oahu and my youngest daughter is an accountant at Foot Locker’s corporate office on the mainland. I have seven grandchildren ranging in ages 1 month to 14 years, who I enjoy immensely. I look forward to and welcome the challenges ahead for me as Branch Director on Molokai for MEO, Inc. Molokai has always been home for me and I love the fact that I now have the opportunity through MEO to reach out and help where we can in this community that we call “Home”.