ABOUT US
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
AAUW Honolulu began over a century ago with a small band of women college graduates who sought to “promote the ideals of higher education”. Building upon this legacy, today’s AAUW Honolulu seeks a broader mission and purpose. Through community partnerships, programming, and scholarship and grant opportunities, AAUW Honolulu strives to advance gender equity throughout our island home.
In 2020, as the country reflected on the roots of systemic racism, we too examined our organization’s history and relationship with the community. The outcome of these discussions was the honest realization that by asking questions and listening deeply we can make our impact even stronger. This year AAUW Honolulu has secured a consultant to help us explore relevant issues surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our goal is to better understand the barriers that women in Hawai’i face and how AAUW Honolulu can use its resources to engage and support all local women.
As we approach this work, AAUW will be examining its programs and offerings through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens, including:
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Career and Leadership Development Grants
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Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships
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Tweet Coleman Aviation Scholarship
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Social Media, Communications, and Marketing
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Membership Engagement Activities (Women's Circle, Equity Network, Book Club)
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Community Partnerships (Girls Talk Back, UH Program, Dress For Success, CNHA, Purple Maiʻa )
We invite you as an AAUW Honolulu supporter to join us as we reflect and commit to broadening our scope of impact among the women of our community. As always, we welcome your feedback and participation. Please email us at info@aauwhonolulu.org to learn more about how AAUW Honolulu is working to support equity for all and how you can be a part of the process.
Officers and Board Members
AAUW Honolulu Branch is primarily a volunteer organization. Without the dedication of these volunteers, we could not provide much needed scholarships, grants, and programs to empower women and girls of Hawaii. Thank you to our awesome volunteers!
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Valerie T. Lam
President
Valeire T. Lam became a member of AAUW Honolulu in 2019 after she attended the Wāhine Worksmart Salary Negotiations program. Because she saw real-life results and benefitted from the programming and mission of AAUW, she was motivated to be part of the organization's operations and has served on the Board of Directors since 2022. Passionate about equity and inclusivity, Val is inspired by this community of women who are committed to supporting and empowering each other. With experience at firms in Washington, DC and Hawai'i, Val's professional background spans legal, marketing, and nonprofit operations. She earned her BA in international relations from Bucknell University and her MBA at the Shidler College of Business at UH Mānoa. She speaks 3 languages and is the eldest daughter of proud Vietnamese-American immigrants.
Alicia Griep
Treasurer
Alicia Griep Aguilar is the Director of Ecommerce & Retail Operations at Tori Richard, overseeing operational and financial performance for the Tori Richard and Kahala brands across brick-and-mortar stores, ecommerce platforms, and digital marketplaces. Alicia’s journey into her professional career was nontraditional, and she is committed to inspiring others to believe that with dedication, anyone can rise from humble beginnings to achieve their goals. Outside of work, Alicia enjoys a balanced family life with her husband and two children, aged 17 and 4, and takes pride in being both a strong business leader and a devoted mother.
Anna Viggiano
Secretary
Anna Viggiano has a doctorate in Curriculum and Assessment and an MeD in Educational Psychology. She is currently the Educational Specialist for Advanced Placement, Gifted and Talented Programs, and Learning Centers with the HIDOE. She has two adult children: Christina, a family medicine physician in Honolulu and Steven, a financial analyst for a tech company in San Francisco. She is past Chair of the Girls Talk Back Committee, which funded a girls' leadership workshop every summer.
Hope Bennett
Director
Hope Bennett is a mediator, specializing in workplace conflict resolution. A former labor and employment attorney with Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, Hope has spent time working in both the hospitality and non profit industries. Hope has long been inspired by her late grandmother who worked tirelessly to support her children despite barriers and prejudices. She is committed to uplifting the voices of those women who have been historically unseen. In addition to serving as President of AAUW Honolulu, Hope is Chair of the Honolulu County Committee on the Status of Women. She is the mother of three sons and a first generation college graduate, having earned her B.A from Yale College and her J.D. from Stanford Law School.
Leela Bilmes Goldstein
Director
Leela is an impatient feminist who was born in Bangkok, Thailand and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. She is Director of Advancement Services at Punahou School and board chair at Hawai‘i Friends of Restorative Justice, a trustee of Abilities Unlimited Hawai‘i and a board director at the Women’s Funding Network. Leela received her BA in French and her MA and PhD in Linguistics, all from UC Berkeley. She was honored to be one of Pacific Business News’ 2018 Women Who Mean Business and USA Today’s 2021 Women of the Year – Hawai‘i Honoree for her work in gender equity and social justice. Having been raised by educators and devoted many years to promoting gender equity and equality, I deeply value the power of education for all, and especially women, and would be honored to be part of an organization that works to bolster the equality, success and achievement of women and female-identifying people in Hawai‘i.
Nicole Fesharaki
Director
Nicole Fesharaki has policy, marketing, and strategy experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors. For the last two years, she has served on the AAUW Honolulu Career Development Grant and Scholarship Grant committees. She has worked as a management consultant for nonprofit organizations, providing strategic, financial, organizational, and board development services to a wide variety of NGOs. She also served on the board of her children’s school and has provided pro bono grant writing services for several organizations. Nicole is a graduate of Punahou and received her B.A. from Middlebury College and M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
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Jennifer Nafarrete
Director
Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Jen Nafarrete has a deep appreciation for the people, culture, and community that have shaped her life and career. A registered nurse for over 30 years, she now serves as a professor of nursing, where she is dedicated to educating and mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals. Through her work in academia and her volunteerism with organizations such as AAUW Honolulu, Jen is continually inspired by the growth, resilience, and potential of those she serves. She is honored to contribute to a community that empowers individuals and fosters meaningful change.
Marni Sakumoto
Director
Marni Sakumoto graduated with a BA in International Business from Loyola Marymount University. Studying abroad in Beijing led her to a post-graduate life in Hong Kong and the Philippines, where a love for entrepreneurship and learning fueled a diverse career across start-ups and business development in a range of industries, from biotech to philanthropy. At Punahou School since 2017, she serves as Reunion Giving Officer, guiding alumni through a meaningful fundraising process that creates lasting legacy and impact. A proud boy-mom of two, Marni is passionate about raising good humans in a world where equality and decency must be actively protected. She can usually be found cheering at a baseball field or planning the next food or travel adventure.
Grace Arends
Director
Grace Arends is a Senior Associate Structural Engineer at KAI Hawaii with over 20 years of experience in structural engineering. She has led a wide range of building projects across the public and private sectors in Hawaiʻi. Grace is committed to helping young people in Hawaiʻi — especially women — enter and thrive in engineering. Having seen firsthand how challenging it can be to build a long-term career in the field, she believes that visibility, mentorship, and strong support systems are critical to keeping women in the profession and strengthening pathways for local talent to pursue engineering careers close to home. Grace first connected with AAUW Honolulu as a career grant recipient, and went on to give back as a facilitator with their Women's Circle program.
Staff Member
AAUW Honolulu found the need to hire its first staff member in 2024 to help manage the growing programs, scholarships, and partnerships of AAUW Honolulu.
Barbara Bumatay
Program Manager
Barbara joins AAUW Honolulu with a background in Finance and Education. From Wall Street, to mom, to educator, she started with AAUW Honolulu as a volunteer on the Scholarship Committee. Now, Barbara eagerly embraces the opportunity to engage with all of AAUW Honolulu's programs, and to support meaningful growth that serves the diverse community of women across Hawaiʻi.
Governing and Planning Documents
Elizabeth Kiefer, Chair
Jean Evans, Past Chair
Jana Light, Incoming Chair
Anna Viggiano
Anne Abaya
Marcia Armstrong
Carolyn Alexander
Hope Bennett
Karen Chen
Michelle Higuchi
Nicole Fesharaki
Marni Sakumoto
Liza Corotan
Dayna Kamimura-Ching
Makanani Lopes
Tweet Coleman, Founder
Nobi Buntin, Chair
Janet Morse, Past Chair
Linda Weiland
Brittany Kahawai
Carol Riley
Hope Bennett, Chair
Nicole Fesharaki, Incoming Chair
Hokulani Garcia
Marni Sakumoto
Denise Pierson
Jennifer Nafarrete
Etsuko Foster
Jean Evans
Sandy Ma
Natasa Revere
Lia Bosch
Sara Sugidono
Eileen Zorc
Ruth Stoddard
Atina Pascua, Director at UHM and Co-Chair
Denise Pierson, Advisor at KCC and Co-Chair
Susannah Lee Kandikatti
Carolina Suhré
Jason Nichols
Anna Viggiano
Younghee Overly
Leela Bilmes Goldstein
Scott Nishimoto
Communication Team
Valerie Lam
Candice Min (consultant)
Leela Bilmes Goldstein
Alicia Griep
Finance Team
Susannah Kandikatti
Hope Bennett
Younghee Overly
Leela Bilmes Goldstein
Grace Arends
Beverly Munson