HONOLULU, Nov. 6, 2023 – Following intensive weeks of immersing a group of newly relocated residents and returning kama‘āina into Hawai‘i’s culture, history and community, Movers and Shakas proudly presents the Cohort 4 graduates of its highly-acclaimed Hawai‘i Talent Onboarding Program (HITOP). Twenty-nine business executives and leaders representing Hawai‘i’s top companies and organizations acculturated into their new Island home through six weeks of cultural education, community service and leadership training, walking away with a deeper understanding of the true meaning of kuleana and a stronger sense of belonging.
“We congratulate these exceptional leaders in taking the extra step to develop a better understanding of Hawai‘i in order to be successful in their careers and new home,” said Nicole Lim, Executive Director of Movers and Shakas. “The work doesn’t end here, and we encourage them to apply what they learned over the past six weeks as new members of our community in order to strengthen Hawai‘i’s economy and future.”
The following executives and leaders are members of HITOP’s Cohort 4:
ABIGAIL CUTTER
Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention (SHARP) Program Compliance Specialist
U.S. Army Pacific
AMY MILLER
Lead Associate and Program Manager
Booz Allen Hamilton
ASHLEY COOPER
Financial Analyst III
Young Brothers Hawaii
ASHLEY KRAUSE
Senior Living Advisor
Senior One Source
DESIREE WOODMAN
Joint Task Force – Red Hill Public Affairs Deputy
U.S. Navy
ELIZABETH CLEARY
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Mid-Pacific Institute
EMILY DIRKS
Account Manager I
Atlas Insurance Agency
EMILY RAWLINGS
Account Manager III
Atlas Insurance Agency
ERIK REVEAL
Advanced Materials R&D Operations Manager
Oceanit
ERIN MOSES
Educational Consultant
JAMES MOSES
Chief Financial Officer
First Hawaiian Bank
JEREMY BEAVEN
Commanding Officer
U.S. Marine Corp
JOHN KRAUSE
Assistant Vice President, IT Business and Customer Solutions
HMSA
JULIE YUNKER
Senior Director of Sustainability, Government & Community Relations
Hawaii Gas
KAREN STORY
Oncology Service Line Director
Hawaii Pacific Health
KAT SAMPSON
Middle School Math Teacher
SEEQS Public Charter
LYDIA ROBERTSON
Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs Officer
U.S. Navy
MARCELINA ROBINSON
Supervisory HR
U.S. Army
MATTHEW FILSINGER
Human Resources Specialist
U.S. Army
MELISSA BUNMEEMA
Human Resources Specialist
U.S. Army
MICHAEL LOMUSCIO
Dean of Studies
‘Iolani School
NOAH PENTELOVITCH
Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Diatomic Devices
OMAR LOPEZ THISMON
Associate Dean of Studies
‘Iolani School
SCOTT MALCOM
Public Affairs Specialist, Commander Navy Region Hawaii
U.S. Navy
SCOTT THOMPSON
Executive Director, 647th Air Base Group
U.S. Air Force
STEPHANIE HAGIO CHIN
Vice President of Marketing
Servco Pacific Hawaii
TED CARLSON
Chief of Staff, Navy Region Hawaii
U.S. Navy
VANESSA ROGERS
Associate Vice President of Workforce Development
Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
VINH-PHUOC HUA
Senior Manager of Talent Services
WorkMonger
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE MILITARY AND HAWAI‘I’S COMMUNITIES
Cohort 4 also represents the largest number of military participants since the program’s inception in 2022. A total of 10 participants included representation from the US Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy segments of the military.
“The Hawai‘i Talent Onboarding Program has not only deepened my connection to the islands, but also exemplified the spirit of ‘Aloha’ in our mission,” said Jeremy Beaven, Commander, U.S. Marine Corp. “This partnership is crucial to our collective shared future and strengthens the bonds between our service members, local communities, and the people of Hawai‘i.”
SUPPORT FROM HAWAI‘I’S COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PARTNERS
Cohort 4’s six-week program included three community workdays with participating partners Ka‘ala Farms, Hale Kipa and The Pantry by Feeding Hawai‘i Together, as well as leadership training workshops, networking events and talk-story sessions through partnerships with Leadership Works, ‘Iolani Palace, cultural practitioners, and community leaders such as Senator Glenn Wakai.
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda provided congratulatory remarks to Cohort 4 at the end of the program during the closing pau hana.
“Congratulations to these wonderful leaders who are at the forefront of their industries and doing so much to support our local communities. I look forward to seeing the continued impact of their contributions, knowing that their efforts to grow our local economy will benefit future generations,” said Rep. Tokuda. “I often say that our children and families have become our greatest export. They don’t see a future for themselves here in Hawai‘i and are forced to go to the mainland looking for economic opportunities. We must remain united in ensuring that our young people and kama‘āina can come back home, or stay in Hawai‘i, with real opportunities that allow them to thrive and build a life in this place that we love.”
MORE THAN 100 LEADERS ACCULTURATED SINCE THE PROGRAM’S INCEPTION
With the completion of Cohort 4 , HITOP has acculturated a total of 111 leaders since the launch of the program in 2022. Based on surveys from past cohorts, 100% of participants improved their understanding of the host culture, 89% improved their sense of Hawai‘i as home, and 90% of participants improved their work effectiveness and deepened their sense of belonging in Hawai‘i. Additionally, many of the companies that participated in the inaugural cohort continued enrollment in its subsequent cohorts including Cohort 4.
“I was born and raised on the neighbor islands and spent more than 20 years living and working abroad before moving home for a new opportunity,” said Stephanie Hagio Chin, Vice President, Marketing of Servco Pacific, Inc. “Being able to reconnect with the culture, community, and people of my home has set me up for success in this new chapter of my career.”
Enrollment registration is now open online for HITOP’s Cohort 5 next Spring. For more information, please visit www.moversandshakas.org/enroll.
About Movers and Shakas
Movers and Shakas is a non-profit that runs place-based, community orientation programs designed to empower and retain recently relocated key talent to learn, contribute and connect in their new home, Hawaiʻi. For more information on the Hawaii Talent Onboarding Program or past cohort fellow programs
visit www.moversandshakas.org.