Our Staff and Board

Alida Adamek Certified Public Accountant Alida has resided in North Kohala since 2006. She has been the Treasurer of the Kohala Country Fair since 2009 and was co-founder of the Kohala Fitness Station for Women. She has been a Certified Public Accountant for 28 years and worked as a sole practitioner, CFO of a national loss prevention company and a partner in a multinational public accounting firm. Alida has been married to her husband Pat, a personal trainer, for 36 years.

Gino Amar Business Office Manager, North Kohala Hospital Born and raised in North Kohala, Gino graduated from Kohala High School as Student Body President in 1985, received his BS in Business Administration (Cum Laude) from Hawaii Pacific College four years later, and returned home to become Kohala Hospital’s Assistant Administrator, Support Services. In December 2009, he received his Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix. Active in the community, Gino has contributed to service projects including helping extend the concession area and re-leveling the infield of the baseball diamond at Kamehameha Park, coaching youth basketball and varsity sports and is an active member in community organizations such as the Kohala Reunion 2005, 2010. He is also a well-known and recorded musician.

Jessica Brown Kohala High School Teacher Born and raised in North Kohala, Jessica graduated from Kohala High School as valedictorian for the class of 1999. She then attended Boston College for 4 years and graduated in 2003 attaining a BA with a major in English and a minor in theology. Jessica is now teaching English at Kohala High School.

Joe Carvalho Retired Bank Officer Joe was born and raised in North Kohala. He is an active supporter of youth sports programs. After thirty years in Information Technology for the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco, Joe has retired with his wife Marcia, a high school classmate, in North Kohala. He is a volunteer member of the Kohala Country Fair committee and currently, a member of the North Kohala Community Development Action Committee. Joe enjoys shoreline fishing and playing for the Kupuna Softball Team.

Chris Helmuth (President) Business Owner Chris first visited North Kohala in 1991. He and his wife, Lise, decided that Kohala was where they wanted to raise their two young daughters, and moved here in 2004. Chris currently works in Kohala as a mortgage broker after successfully selling his manufacturing business in Los Angeles. He holds a business degree from Pepperdine University and a Master's Degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Chris is also a past Vice President of the West Hawaii Mediation Center. and is a member of the Kohala Merchants Association. He graduated form the one-year Nonprofit Manager Certification Program at Kapiolani Community College in 2007.

Maile Lincoln Community Manager For Development - ACA Maile was born and raised in North Kohala. Upon graduation from Kohala High School, she attended Heald Business College and studied Travel Management. She later transferred to Hawaii Community College and received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts with a minor in Hawaiian Lifestyles. Maile completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences at Washington State University. She has a triple concentration in Psychology, History and Human Development with an interest in Criminology. Maile worked for the Department of Education in a variety of capacities for 14 years. She is now the Community Manager for Income Development for the American Cancer Society Hawaii Island.

Bob Martin (Treasurer) Small Business Consultant A retired executive from AT&T, Bob offers small business consulting in North Kohala, and is a partner in a local coffee shop. Bob’s community service includes six years on the Kohala High and Intermediate School's School-Community Based Management Council, President and Treasurer of the North Kohala Merchant's Association for three years each, Chair of the Kohala Country Fair for three years and member for six years, Advisory Council of the Kohala Intergenerational Center and Director of the West Hawaii Mediation Center. He writes grant proposals for nonprofits, has completed the Foundation Center’s Grant seeking on the Web and Proposal Writing courses in New York, and the one-week Grantsmanship Training Program with the Grantsmanship Center. Bob holds a Certificate of Professional Development in Nonprofit Management from Kapiolani Community College. Kohala Citizen of the Year, 2005. A twenty-one year resident of Kohala, he lives in Hawi with his wife Karen.

Kathleen Matsuda (Secretary) Small Business Owner Kathleen Matsuda was born and raised in Kohala. She graduated from Kohala High School with the class of 1980 and completed the Hotel Management/Receptionist program at Cannon’s Business College. She has been involved in the local Boy Scouts of America for 21 years and is currently the Program Chairman for the Hamakua/Kohala District. Kathy was the previous owner of her family’s Union Market business that was started by her grandfather. She is now the President of Kohala Okinawa Ken Jin Kai and has been the Director of the Children’s Day Camp for 6 years. Kathy leads the Kohala chapter of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii and recently organized a very successful Kohala Project Grad program. Kathy is married with two children.

Amy Meyer-Sullivan Small Business Owner Amy Meyer-Sullivan has lived in North Kohala since 1988. Her two children were born and raised here. She served as PTA president at Kohala Elementary School from 1999-2001,where she organized funding and installations of two playgrounds. Amy was co-assistant coach for AYSO for two years and a Board Director from 2003-05. She worked in the Kohala office for West Hawaii Family Support Services from 1997-98. Amy assisted for many years as a volunteer for the Kamehameha Day Celebration and currently serves as a volunteer for North Hawaii Hospice and is a member of Na Huapala "O Hawaii Halau "O Ha'alelea.

Kim Takata Small Business Owner Kim Takata has a Bachelor's degree from VA Tech in Horticulture, and has been involved in agriculture in Hawaii for 27 years. Her experience includes working in a botanical garden, managing Watanabe Floral (a wholesale cut rose nursery in Waimea), and managing her own nursery in Kohala for the past 11 years. She is an active member of the Kohala Coqui Coalition, the Kohala Community Athletic Association (KCAA), the Kohala Ditch Foundation, and a member of the Hawaii Farm Bureau.

Lani Bowman Consultant/Educator Native of North Kohala, Kamehameha Schools graduate, BS in Environmental Science from the University of Puget Sound., Lani has served on the County Water Commission, North Hawaii Hospice, Hawaii State Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances, Hawaii State Foster Parents Association, and delegate to the Native Hawaiian Convention. Lani also helped initiate the Kohala Country Fair, and T.E.A.M. Kohala. Program Manager for Kohala’s Project Venture. Currently serving as North Kohala’s member of the Planning Commission.

David Gomes Luthier & Musician Born and raised in North Kohala. Well-known worldwide for his handmade quality musical instruments, and as a musician in Hawaii. Music Director at St. Augustine Episcopal Church, and Director of the church’s Youth Ukulele Choir. Father of two, he is a Director for the Kohala Hospital Charitable Foundation and an avid hiker.

Dennis S. Matsuda Former District Supervisor, North & South Kohala District, County of Hawaii, Parks & Recreation A North Kohala native, Dennis has worked for the Country of Hawaii for the past 25 years, and is currently the District Supervisor for our area of the Big Island. Over the years he has been involved in many community-based groups: the King Kamehameha Day Celebration Committee, Chair of the Kohala Millennium Reunion, T.E.A.M. Kohala, a drug intervention program, a Board Member of the Kohala Intergenerational Center, Taste of Kohala Steering Committee, the Kohala Golf Club, the Kohala Okinawa Kenjin Kai Club, Pop Warner football and Little League baseball.

Faye Mitchell Preschool Director, Personal Historian Raised in North Kohala, Faye attended Kohala Elementary and High School before graduating from Parker High School with the Trustees' Award for community service. She went on to college in California and obtained a Masters Degree in Psychology. In 2003 Faye returned to her home town to raise two children and begin her career developing and directing community service projects. She founded Living Journals, a oral history project which has collected life histories of 16 North Kohala seniors and published 4 books - most recently "A Storyteller's Story: Kindy Sproat of North Kohala". Faye has also developed and directed a local Montessori preschool. She now works as a consultant to NKCRC, is developing a new health care project and continues to expand Living Journals.

Nani Svendsen Self Employed Born and raised in North Kohala, Nani has been one of the community’s most active contributors since 1980. She received the "Citizen of the Year" award in 1999 from the North Kohala Merchant’s Association for outstanding contributions to the community. Organized the Makapala and Niulii villages to address water and general plan issues during 1980- 1982. Conducted community workshops on mountain food gathering and floral arranging-wreath making in 1984-1985, organized the first Kohala Christmas Crafts Fair in 1994 to benefit the Summer Fun Program for local children, Co-Chair Taste of Kohala 1995-1996, Kamehameha Week Celebration committee member last six years, and member of T.E.A.M. Kohala last two years. Project Organizer for Kukui Garden

Frances Woollard North Hawaii Hospice A resident of North Kohala since 1974, Fran has served an a Registered Nurse at the North Kohala Hospital, Family Nurse Practitioner for the Kohala Family Health Center 1982-1991, and Kohala Home Heath Care 1991-1997, and has been employed by North Hawaii Hospice since 1986. She has contributed to the CARE program, the North Kohala Intergenerational Center, was a Director of North Hawaii Hospice, Kohala Healing Arts, and co-facilitates the Hawaii Nature Fast and O'Ka Mana Ka Ho'ola, an Hawaiian Cancer Retreat.

Desiree M. Yamamoto Business Owner Desiree is a North Kohala rancher and former President of the Kohala Community Athletic Association, the North Kohala Hawaiian Civic Club, and co-chaired the Kamehameha Week Celebration Committee for many years. She has lived in North Kohala for 25 years and was born and raised in Honokaa.

Christine Richardson Executive Director Christine brings a wide-ranging background to our Center. With a BA in Human Service Advocacy, and five years as the Clinic Manager for North Kohala’s Native Hawaiian Health Research project, she has considerable experience in providing grass-roots service to residents in our community, as well as managing large projects and accomplishing communityrelated goals. As a professional RN, she has served Kohala Home Health Care and Kohala Hospital, and is an on-call RN for North Hawaii Hospice. She completed a Certificate of Professional Development in Nonprofit Management from Kapiolani Community College in September 2004. She has lived in Kohala since 1994.

Juanita Rivera Executive Assistant Juanita moved to North Kohala with her husband in 1979. She worked for the Mauna Kea resort and H&R Block. She worked for Dr. Robert Watkins as a receptionist and billing expert for eleven years before joining the staff of the Resource Center in February, 2006. She makes the Resource Center hum.