Main Session Speakers

Read more about our afternoon breakout session speakers.

E Komo Mai | Welcome

T ‘Ilihia’ Gionson

Randy Kurohara

  • T. Ilihia Gionson has built his career at the crossroads of Hawai‘i’s most complex community challenges, focused on bringing people together and honoring diverse voices and perspectives in important conversations. Known for his approachable style and thoughtful way with words, Ilihia helps navigate intricate issues with clarity, empathy, and respect.

    Through roles leading communications and engagement for Hawai‘i County Mayor Billy Kenoi, U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and private sector clients through his firm Hiehie Communications, Ilihia’s work has spanned affordable housing and renewable energy development, emergency response and disaster recovery, regenerative tourism, and government affairs on the local, state, and national levels.

    He currently serves as Chief Public Affairs Officer at the W. M. Keck Observatory, leading efforts to strengthen the mutual stewardship of the explorers advancing humanity’s understanding of the universe and the community that hosts the world’s premiere site for astronomy, Maunakea.

    Inspired by the journey caring for his dad, an U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam, Ilihia was selected as an Elizabeth Dole Foundation fellow, advocating nationally for military veteran caregivers like himself. He was also recognized in 2025 as one of Pacific Business News’ 40 Under 40, a group of exceptional young professionals making their mark across Hawai‘i.

    A proud product of the Hawai‘i Island community and his alma maters Ke Kula ‘o Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Ilihia now lives in Kona with his ‘ohana: daughter Kawaipōmaika‘i, partner State Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa, and father Tony a.k.a. Pops.

  • Randy is the Executive Director of Community First and is responsible for carrying out our strategic vision and mission. He served for 8 years with Mayor Kenoi in various roles at the County of Hawaiʻi including Director of the Department of Research & Development, Deputy Managing Director, and Managing Director. He is a long time Hawaiʻi Island small business owner of Creative Arts Hawaii and Aloha Grown. He graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Marketing. He is director and past President of the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce; member and past President of the Rotary Club of South Hilo; director and past President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaiʻi; board member of the Hawaiʻi Health System Corporation’s East Hawaiʻi Regional Board, the Salvation Army, Keahole Center for Sustainability, and emeritus board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island.

Opening Remarks

Jill Tokuda

  • Jill Tokuda represents Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District which includes suburban and rural parts of O‘ahu, the islands of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, Maui, Lana‘i, Moloka‘i, Ni‘ihau, Kaho‘olawe, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Elected in November 2022 to serve in the 118th Congress, Tokuda serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

    She is a Founding Member and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Rural Health Care Caucus. She has also been selected by her peers to serve as Vice Chair for Communications for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Freshman Representative for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Region 2 Whip (includes Hawai`i, Alaska, Northern California, Guam, American Samoa, and The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). 

    Jill’s family has called Hawai‘i home for four generations since emigrating from Okinawa, living on Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Kaua‘i and on the Windward side of O‘ahu. A proud product of Hawai‘i’s public schools, she was the first in her family to go to college and attended the George Washington University where she earned a BA in international relations with a minor in Japanese studies.

    From 2006-2018, she represented Kaneohe and Kailua in the Hawai‘i State Senate. During her tenure she chaired the Ways and Means, Education and Higher Education, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, and Labor committees. As Ways and Means Chair, Jill balanced the state’s $14 billion budget and approved all fiscal and tax measures at the Hawai‘i State Legislature. She also championed legislation that established the state’s first Executive Office on Early Learning and funded the Hawai‘i Keiki Program to provide access to health services in public schools.

    During the pandemic, Jill was appointed to the Hawai‘i House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness where she worked with the state, counties and nonprofit entities to track the progress of over $21 billion in federal relief that came into Hawai‘i and provide information and analysis to aid in the distribution and management of these resources.

    Jill is married to Kyle Michibata. They have two sons, Aden and Matt, who attend the same public schools their parents graduated from – King Intermediate and James B. Castle High School.

    U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda is driven by the goal of making sure Hawai‘i is a place where her sons and all of our children can see a future for themselves in this place we call home.

Opening Keynote Address

Dr. Vivian S. Lee

  • Vivian S. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., is a tech executive, physician leader, and author of The Long Fix: Solving America's Health Care Crisis with Strategies that Work for Everyone. An Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Medical School, she focuses on the intersections of tech and AI, sustainability, and health, seeking a stronger, healthier future for all.

     

    Dr. Lee served as the founding President of Health Platforms at Verily (Google), where she built several successful health-tech businesses, including digital health, precision risk insurance, and a COVID-19 testing and management program for employers and universities. Previously, Lee was Dean and CEO of the University of Utah Health, which was ranked #1 in quality among university health systems (Vizient), and before that, Chief Scientific Officer at NYU. Lee was an NIH-funded investigator for over two decades and received the Gold Medal of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the highest honor in her field. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2015. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Fund, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Joint Commission, Association of American Rhodes Scholars, and Zions Bancorporation.  A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard, Lee received a D.Phil in medical engineering from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, earned her M.D. with honors from Harvard, and her MBA from NYU.

STRENGTHENING REGIONAL CARE: Expanding Capacity & Access in East Hawai`i

Panelists

Dan Brinkman

Kahealani Wakinekona

Richard Taaffe

Brandee Menino (Moderator)

  • Dan is the East Hawaiʻi Regional Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, overseeing Hilo Medical Center, Hale Hoʻola Hamakua, Kaʻu Hospital, the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, and the East Hawaiʻi Health Clinics. He earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, an Associate Degree in Nursing and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Augusta State University.

  • Richard serves as Vice President of Community First’s board. He is the CEO of Hawai`i Island Community Health Center, a role he’s held since 2005. He also serves on the Board of Directors of HMSA Foundation. He is a graduate of Allegheny College and the University of New Mexico.

  • Brandee Menino serves as the Chief Executive Officer of HOPE Services Hawaii, where she leads statewide initiatives to prevent and end homelessness through street medicine, sheltering, medical respite, housing, healthcare integration, and community partnerships. With over two decades of leadership in non-profit executive management, she is a passionate advocate for social justice and equity across Hawaii Island. While being a grandma to two young boys bring her the most joy, she remains dedicated to transforming systems to foster healthier, more resilient communities.

Healthcare at a Crossroads: A Talk Story with Mark Mugiishi

Mark Mugiishi

Randy Kurohara

  • Dr. Mark Mugiishi is the chief executive officer of the Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (HMSA), where he leads the organization in service to its members, employer groups, stakeholders, and the community, and works to advance the health care ecosystem and the health of Hawaiʻi.  

    Dr. Mugiishi is a respected surgeon who has practiced and taught surgery in private practice and in association with the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). In 2015, he joined the HMSA leadership team as executive vice president, chief medical officer, and chief health officer.

     In addition to his leadership role at HMSA, Dr. Mugiishi co-founded the Endoscopy Institute of Hawaii and the Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii. He was a general surgeon for nearly 30 years and was associate chair of the Department of Surgery and director of Surgical Education at JABSOM.

     Dr. Mugiishi previously served as chair of the ʻIolani School Board of Governors. He is well known for his time as the winningest boys basketball coach at ʻIolani. He was also a producer of the Broadway musical, Allegiance.

     A proud graduate of ʻIolani School, Dr. Mugiishi earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

  • Randy is the Executive Director of Community First and is responsible for carrying out our strategic vision and mission. He served for 8 years with Mayor Kenoi in various roles at the County of Hawaiʻi including Director of the Department of Research & Development, Deputy Managing Director, and Managing Director. He is a long time Hawaiʻi Island small business owner of Creative Arts Hawaii and Aloha Grown. He graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Marketing. He is director and past President of the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce; member and past President of the Rotary Club of South Hilo; director and past President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaiʻi; board member of the Hawaiʻi Health System Corporation’s East Hawaiʻi Regional Board, the Salvation Army, Keahole Center for Sustainability, and emeritus board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island.

EXTENDING REGIONAL CARE: A Collaborative Vision for Future Healthcare Delivery

Panelists

Amy Feely-Austin

Clayton McGhan

Dr. Jeff Palmgren

Dr. Victoria Hanes

Wendy Laros (Moderator)

  • Amy Feeley-Austin serves as Chief Operating Officer of HHSC West Hawaiʻi Region and President of the West Hawaiʻi Region Hospital Foundation. A seasoned healthcare executive and passionate advocate for healthier communities, Amy has led transformative initiatives in healthcare delivery, including serving as the founding Executive Director of Hawaiʻi’s first Medicare Accountable Care Organization at The Queen’s Health System. With more than two decades of experience spanning healthcare leadership, public policy, and community health, she has championed initiatives to expand access, strengthen health systems, and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. She also serves as Board President of Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi and is gov. Josh Green’s appointee to the Statewide Health Coordinating Committee, helping shape Hawaiʻi’s healthcare future.

  • Clayton McGhan serves as Regional Chief Executive Officer of Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation’s West Hawaiʻi Region, providing strategic leadership for Kona Community Hospital and Kohala Hospital. A respected healthcare executive and visionary leader, Mr. McGhan has built his career on operational excellence, strategic growth, and a steadfast commitment to advancing healthcare access and quality in West Hawaiʻi. His leadership spans hospital administration, ambulatory care, and organizational transformation. A two-time 40 Under 40 honoree, recognized by Pacific Business News and the Irish Echo, he holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in healthcare administration and management. Beyond his executive role, he serves as Chair-Elect of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Directors of Community First Hawaiʻi, championing partnerships that strengthen healthcare and the broader community.

  • Dr. Palmgren serves as the Regional Chief Medical Officer for the HHSC West Hawaii Region and CEO for Aliʻi Medical Group and Ambulatory Surgery Center, while maintaining an active surgical practice in urology. A board-certified urologist and Navy veteran who served as a trauma surgeon in Afghanistan, Dr. Palmgren brings front-line surgical perspective to his executive leadership, dedicating his career to expanding healthcare access from building de novo clinics to driving key system transformations. In addition to his leadership in the operating room and the boardroom, he sits on the American Urological Association's Public Policy Advocacy Committee, helping shape health policy at the national level.

  • As the President and CEO of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Wendy Laros leads and advocates for a successful business environment in West Hawaiʻi. She oversees an organization representing 460 members, primarily businesses, working to strengthen the region’s economy and expand opportunities for the community. With over 40 years in Hawaiʻi, she believes that strong relationships and strategic leadership drive long-term solutions that promote prosperity and resilience.

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Hurricane Lala: Response, Recovery, Resilience & Lessons Learned

Panelists

Erika Polido

Erin Samura

Syndi Halualani-Texeira

Dr. Victoria Hanes

Mayor Kimo Alameda (Moderator)

  • Erin Samura is an Executive Assistant in the Hawaiʻi County Mayor’s Office and a practicing pharmacist. She works with human services departments, healthcare providers, and community partners to improve healthcare access, human services, and support disaster response and recovery.

  • Syndi Halualani-Texeira is the Founder and Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Animal Kuleana Alliance (HAKA), a Hawaiʻi nonprofit focused on disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and community resilience. Since HAKA's grassroots beginnings during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption response, she has grown the organization's work from animal rescue into a whole-ʻohana model that supports people and animals together through every phase of emergency.

    Her work includes animal control, rescue, and sheltering, developing community-based emergency response systems, supporting vulnerable residents, coordinating disaster shelter and distribution operations, and building partnerships across government, healthcare, nonprofit, and volunteer organizations.

    Syndi is also leading the launch of Hawaiʻi Aloha Kuleana Alliance, a newly forming sister organization. Through it, she leads the implementation of SPROUT UP, a Hawaiʻi Island initiative establishing Community Resilience and Recovery Centers, expanding emergency medical communications, and increasing local training and response capacity.

    Syndi also oversees HAKA's Disaster Intake for Response & Evacuation (DIRE) Registry, which identifies households that may need additional assistance during emergencies, including kūpuna, people with disabilities or access and functional needs, individuals dependent on medical equipment, and families with service animals, pets, or livestock.

    Through HAKA, she has supported disaster response and recovery efforts from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and the 2023 Maui wildfires to Kona Low storms and the 2026 Hurricanes Lala and Lowell, among other severe weather events affecting Hawaiʻi communities. In January 2025, HAKA deployed a small team to Los Angeles for the Palisades and Eaton fires, coordinating lost-and-found pet logistics through a tracking database Syndi developed. Her work is grounded in a simple principle: resilient communities are built when neighbors have the skills, relationships, and resources to care for one another before, during, and after disaster.

  • Mayor Kimo Alameda is a proud father of seven children who has dedicated his professional career to serving the people of Hawaiʻi Island.

    Prior to being elected as Mayor, he led Bay Clinic as CEO, the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force, and was the Executive of the County of Hawaiʻi’s Office of Aging.

    A licensed psychologist and former coach, Mayor Alameda leads the County to build healthy communities, support geographic equity, and create a stronger island for all. 

Closing Remarks | Mahalo

John DeFries

  • Inspired and concerned by the events of the last decade that surround Mauna Kea and her future, John (with wife Ginny’s consent) chose to compete for the leadership role as executive director of the newly formed Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA). In March 2024, MKSOA’s 12-member board of directors, announced its selection of John to head the new authority.

    The board’s selection of John was informed by a wide range of support and opposition that he received from kupuna, business executives, community leaders, environmentalists, conservationists, Hawaiian cultural practitioners and kiaʻi (protectors); some of whom led the massive July 2019 demonstration and blockade against the commencement of construction for the Thirty Meter Telescope.

    MKSOA was enacted by law in July 2022, within which a five-year transition period was established (July 1, 2023 - July 1, 2028) for the transfer of all management and stewardship responsibilities on the summit, from the University of Hawaiʻi to MKSOA.

    In accepting this challenging assignment, John is aware of and grateful for the complexities that are imbedded in the process of establishing common ground which will honor, care for and protect Mauna Kea as a summit of spirituality and the pinnacle of astronomical research in the world. Effectively, Mauna Kea is a sacred place of cosmological origin and cultural identity for Native Hawaiians while being recognized throughout the world as the pre-eminent, Earth-based portal to the cosmos.

    John currently serves on the boards of Friends of the Future, Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Memorial Committee, Henry Kapono Foundation, and Kualoa Ranch. He was born and raised in Waikīkī and East Oʻahu and a graduate of Punahou School. John and Ginny have resided in Kona for the past 35 years.