Sherry Menor-McNamara, CCE

Sherry Menor-McNamara, CCE

President & CEO


(808) 380-2609
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Sherry Menor-McNamara has served as President & CEO since 2013. She holds the distinction as the Chamber’s first female President in its 170-year history and first Asian to serve as CEO of a State Chamber. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. She joined the Chamber as Director of Business Advocacy in 2006 and was promoted to Vice President of Business Advocacy and Government Affairs in 2007. Under her leadership, the Chamber was recognized as the 2018 State Chamber of the Year, a national award presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

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Previous posts have included jobs with ESPN, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Sony Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Estee Lauder Company, Elton John Production, Hawaii State Legislature, U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka and the Executive Office of the United States President.

She currently serves on numerous boards including the Hawaii Tourism Authority, JAIMS Foundation and Move Oahu Forward. Nationally, she serves the board for the U.S. Chamber, Council of State Chambers, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, including its Executive Committee, and the U.S. Chamber Committee of 100.

Sherry earned a certificate in expanding impact in advocacy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education. She has  a juris doctorate degree and MBA from University of Hawaii. She also pursued graduate study in public administration at USC and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA.

Born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Hilo, Hawaii , she graduated from Waiakea High School.

Administration

Licia Hill

Licia Hill

Vice President, Operations & Programs


(808) 380-2604
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Licia Hill manages the Chamber’s overall operations and several of the organization’s program initiatives, and  is responsible for communication and administrative duties with the Chamber’s board of directors. She also serves as Public Health Fund administrator. She brings more than 20 years of executive support and development experience to the Chamber.

She previously served as executive assistant with the Hawaii Community Foundation providing support in board and client relations, annual budget planning, meeting and event logistics, and communications. Licia has also worked at Castle Medical Center and Hawaii Pacific Health in executive administrative positions.

In her spare time she enjoys cooking, yoga and spending time with family and friends.  She also volunteers for several community nonprofits.

Ali Meza

Ali Meza

Administrative Coordinator


(808) 380-2616
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M. Ali Meza I. is the Administrative Coordinator at the Chamber and provides administrative support to the Chamber’s Operations and Membership departments and assists other Chamber departments.

In her role Ali assists with member inquiries, processing member applications, handles incoming payments and distributes member informational packets.

Ali comes from a diverse background having supported a range of organizations in fields such as Marketing, Building Maintenance, Finance and Automotive. She has a passion for community and the arts, fueling her background in volunteerism and community involvement.

Ali has been recognized by the Long Beach California Mayor Robert Garcia, the former California State Senator Jenny Oropeza and the U.S. House of Representatives for Outstanding Achievement and Academic and Civic Leadership.

Membership

Tyler Hunt

Tyler Hunt

Associate Vice President, Membership Services


(808) 380-2613
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As Associate Vice President of Membership Services, Tyler Hunt is responsible for new membership sales and retention, and for developing strategic initiatives and partnerships to meet membership growth and revenue objectives.

Tyler has held business development and marketing positions in the HR outsourcing, healthcare and tourism industries in Hawaii, and is committed to helping the local business community thrive.

In his spare time, Tyler enjoys sailing and surfing.

Stephanie Shinno

Stephanie Shinno

Director of Membership Services


(808) 380-2619
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As Director of Membership Services, Stephanie Shinno is responsible for new membership sales and retention and for developing strategic initiatives and partnerships to meet membership growth and revenue objectives.

Previously, Stephanie worked for KHON2 News as a digital producer and prior to working for the broadcasting station, she worked for The Garden Island newspaper as a journalist. She is looking forward to working with businesses in Hawaii.

Stephanie was born and raised on the island of Kauai. If she isn’t serving the community, she can be found spending most of her time cooking, writing songs and laughing with her ohana.

Communications & Advocacy

Eliza Talbot

Eliza Talbot

Vice President, Communications, Public Affairs & Strategy


(808) 380-2605
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Eliza is the Vice President of Communications, Public Affairs and Strategy for the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i. Eliza’s background includes state and local government work as well as advocacy and community engagement for notable companies in the private sector including Ko Olina Resort, The Resort Group and Hitachi Rail. She also served as Chief of Staff for the West O‘ahu City Council District.

In 2022, Eliza was appointed by Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi to serve on the newly formed Economic Revitalization Commission for the City and County of Honolulu. She is a former Board Member of the Kapolei Chamber of Commerce and in 2021, she founded and became Chair of the Business Revitalization Task Force of West O‘ahu. The Task Force advocates for economic policies will establish the West O‘ahu Innovation and Entrepreneur Center. In 2021, she was recognized by the Pacific Business News as “40 under 40” and “Who and What to Watch in 2022”.

Eliza’s childhood was divided between Hawai‘i and California, but Hawai‘i is home. She attended USC for her bachelor’s degree and earned a Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Hawai‘i.

Director of Communications


(808) 380-2605

Kira Diehm

Kira Diehm

Manager, Marketing & Communications


(808) 380-2605
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Workforce Development

Keala Peters

Keala Peters

Executive Vice President, Education & Workforce Development Executive Director, Sector Partnerships


(808) 380-2612
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As Vice President of Education & Workforce Development and Executive Director of Sector Partnerships, Keala Peters is responsible for the Chamber’s education-related strategic initiatives that help bridge business with education in support of a strong talent pipeline for Hawaii.

Through Sector Partnerships, Keala helps to convene industry executives and solve for Hawaii’s complex workforce development and economic development issues. Keala and her team also support the strategic efforts of Hawaii’s educators by coordinating high quality work-based learning opportunities that prepare students for college and career readiness in an innovation economy.

Keala has extensive experience as a community builder, collaborator and communications executive in both the private and non-profit sectors on the mainland and here at home in Hawaii. She brings her experience at Nike, Inc., Microsoft, Hawaii Pacific Health and The Queen’s Health Systems to the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

As a Native Hawaiian woman born and raised in Honolulu, Keala is a strong advocate for Hawaii families and believes that everyone should have access to a high quality education and that education is the foundation for success. She is actively involved in supporting the HEC CHANGE initiative’s higher education sector and serves on the boards of the Institute for Human Services and the YWCA of Oahu.

Lord Ryan Lizardo

Lord Ryan Lizardo

Director, Work-Based Learning


(808) 380-2607
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As the Director of Work-Based Learning, Lord Ryan Lizardo is responsible for connecting schools and businesses together for seamless workforce development opportunities for Hawaii’s youth. As intermediary, Lord Ryan creates access to partnerships, resources, internship opportunities and virtual/in-person connections to develop a pipeline from middle school to high school to post-secondary in order to nurture Hawaii’s future workforce.

Lord Ryan grew up in Ewa Beach and earned his undergraduate degree in integrated educational studies at Chapman University and master’s degree in secondary education at Johns Hopkins University. He brings over six years of experience in the classroom teaching psychology and sociology at his alma mater, James Campbell High School. During that time, he served as the academy of public and human services lead developing the identity and development of the culinary, education, and travel/tourism pathways and advised the Class of 2020 and Rainbow Sabers club. He also has four years of experience working with Teach for America coaching teachers in diversity, equity and inclusion and culturally relevant pedagogy. As a deep believer in equity and social justice in education to dismantle systemic oppression, Lord Ryan hopes to bring his wealth of knowledge to advocate for Hawaii’s youth.

In his free time, he spends quality time with friends and family.

Katie Kaahanui

Katie Kaahanui

Manager, Workforce Development


(808) 380-2606
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As the Workforce Development Manager, Katie is involved in various workforce development initiatives such as Good Jobs Hawaii, Sector Partnerships, and other work-based learning efforts. She also oversees Hawaii is Hiring, a multi-channel tool designed to connect Hawaii residents to employment, training and education opportunities. 

Especially passionate about criminal justice and prison reform issues, Katie completed internships with the Honolulu City Council and the Oahu Office of the Public Defender, where she saw firsthand the socioeconomic inequities faced by minority and underrepresented individuals in Hawaii. She firmly believes that access to quality education is a necessary part of the foundational structure in achieving both personal and professional excellence.

She holds a BA in Justice Administration from UH West Oahu, a Masters in Criminal Justice from Chaminade University, and is currently pursuing an additional Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology focusing in Mental Health. 

Sophia Wibholm

Sophia Wibholm

Coordinator, Work-Based Learning


(808) 380-2615
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As the Work-Based Learning (WBL) Coordinator, Sophia is responsible for working in partnership with the Chamber’s Director of WBL in support of career exploration and workforce development for students at select Hawaii Department of Education schools. These WBL engagements include but are not limited to virtual career fairs, job site visits, project-based learning activities, guest speakers, and securing in-person/virtual internships.

Sophia grew up on a farm in north central Iowa. She earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Iowa State University. Sophia joined Teach for America Hawaii in 2018 and was placed at Maili Elementary in Waianae, where she taught third grade for four years. Sophia is passionate about all students receiving an excellent education, despite their zip code. She is excited to help students pave a way towards a bright future with work-based learning opportunities.

Sophia earned her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Biblical Studies from Colorado Christian University. In her free time she enjoys any outdoor activity, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Events & YP

Tricia Fetui

Tricia Fetui

Vice President, Events & Programs Executive Director, Young Professionals Program


(808) 380-2611
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Tricia Fetui is Vice President of Events & Programs at the Chamber, and Executive Director of the Young Professionals Program. In her role, Fetui oversees the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s events and programs, along with the YP Program. She previously worked at the Aloha Council Boy Scouts Hawaii, Guam and America Samoa, March of Dimes Hawaii, The Queen’s Health Systems, The Madden Corporation and Central Pacific Bank.

Fetui received her BS in Business Administration and Management from Hope International University in Fullerton, CA, where she played women’s collegiate volleyball.

Marisa Pangan-Hosokawa

Marisa Pangan-Hosokawa

Manager, Events & Special Projects


(808) 380-2368
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Marisa Pangan-Hosokawa is the Events & Special Projects Manager at the Chamber. In her role Marisa assists with the planning and coordination of the Chamber’s activities along with assisting with the content and graphic creation for digital marketing and social media. Marisa previously worked for Inception Design as an Account Manager and Raynor Hawaii Overhead Doors and Gates Inc. as a Marketing Intern.

Marisa is a recent college graduate, receiving her BBA in Marketing & International Business and MS in Marketing Management from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business. She is inspired by good works, passion and the ability to grow from any situation.

Kaya Ishimine

Kaya Ishimine

Coordinator, Young Professionals Program


(808) 380-2368
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Kaya Ishimine is the Coordinator of the Young Professionals Program at the Chamber and provides administrative support to the YP Program. In her role, Kaya assists with the planning and coordination of YP programs and activities and supports program growth and development, along with assisting with the content and graphic creation for digital marketing and social media.

Kaya recently interned for a summer at the Marriott Grand Chateau in Las Vegas, Nevada where she was an Activities Coordinator. 

Kaya was born and raised in Ewa Beach and graduated from James Campbell High School. She is currently pursuing a double Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management and Marketing at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business. She enjoys reading, going to the beach and spending time with family and friends. Kaya looks forward to one day being able to travel the world.

Military Affairs

Jason Chung, Col. (Ret.)

Jason Chung, Col. (Ret.)

Vice President, Military Affairs


(808) 380-2608
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As Vice President for Military Affairs, Jason Chung’s role is to be an effective advocate to promote, preserve and protect military missions and installations in Hawaii and be the bridge that links the military to the local community, businesses and government.

He recently retired after 36 years of service in the U.S. Army. He started his military career here in Hawaii, serving in both the Hawaii Army National Guard and Army Reserves. After graduating from the University of Hawaii, he served in multiple units, the 25th Infantry Division, 1/509th Parachute Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, 2ID, Joint Special Operation Command, United States Forces Korea, a U.S. Army Pacific Command, and has tours with the Central Intelligence Agency and the Director of National Intelligence.

Jason earned an executive certificate in data science from John Hopkins. He holds a BA from the University of Hawaii and an MBA from Baker University.

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