Childhood Homelessness Symposium
Speakers

Gwen Battis is an experienced communications and project management professional within social impact and public service spaces. She holds a B.A. in Communications & Media and Sociology from DePaul University and a M.A. in International and Intercultural Communication, along with a certificate in Global Business & Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Denver. Driven by equity-based and participatory communication, Gwen comes to DBIP with extensive experience engaging traditionally disenfranchised communities through messaging, advocacy, and action. She is dedicated to giving a voice to Denver’s unhoused community and inspiring necessary systemic change.

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Ian Ross earned a B.A. in Economics with Honors from the University of Hawai‘i. He is currently serving as the Public Affairs Director at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, where he leads their government affairs. He previously Chaired the Makiki Neighborhood Board from 2019 to 2024, where he was a strong advocate for his community. In 2022, he was named a Champion for Children Honoree for Youth Advocacy in recognition of his work in advancing legislative efforts that successfully established Hawai‘i as a right-to-shelter state for minors experiencing homelessness. He also previously served on the Board of RYSE Residential Youth Services and Empowerment, a 501(c)(3) organization operating a access center where Hawai‘i’s street youth are assessed and referred to appropriate support services.

In her nonprofit career, Angelina has worked to address the root causes of poverty and trauma in the lives of women and children, first as a volunteer for Wāhine Moving Forward, a financial literacy program for survivors of domestic violence, then as the Director of Advancement for Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network, a movement for children. As the Executive Director of Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, she is a fierce advocate for survivors, domestic violence programs, and their staff. Angelina currently serves on the board of the National Network to End Domestic Violence and as the Co-Chair of the Hawai‘i Women’s Coalition, a statewide network of organizations and individuals working to advance legislation on gender issues. She has also served on the Community Advisory Board of Hawai‘i Public Radio and the Board of Directors of the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi. She was also the Vice President of Communications and then Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force for the Junior League of Honolulu. Prior to moving to Hawaiʻi, Angelina was a Vice President in the Global Funding Group at RBC Capital Markets in New York. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Connecticut College. An animal lover, Angelina’s family in Hawai‘i includes her rescue pets Xoe and Biscuit-Rose

Rachel is from Washington State and has lived in Hawai‘i since 2017. She earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from UH Mānoa and now works as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Rachel has been with Family Promise of Hawai‘i for the past four years, with the last two specifically focused on housing families and their children while navigating the complexities of domestic violence. Her expertise in trauma-informed care and housing stability makes her a valuable advocate for survivors and a guiding voice in today’s discussion.

Chevelle, born and raised on O‘ahu, resides in the ahupua‘a of Hono‘uli‘uli. The eldest of six in a blended family, she enjoys traveling, eating ‘ono food, volunteering with ʻāina-based initiatives, making memories with loved ones, and cuddling with her cat, Cleo. With a strong public health background, Chevelle holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree and is pursuing a Ph.D. in public health at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Chevelle's research interests include sexual reproductive health and rights and Native Hawaiian health as they intersect with the social and settler colonial determinants of health. A recent graduate of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars program, she is dedicated to addressing structural inequities and promoting systems change through advocacy. Chevelle is passionate about creating a future where communities feel safe and supported across Hawai‘i by addressing social, structural, and settler colonial determinants of health. She brings passion for community-centered policies informed by anti-racism, equity, and justice, with the goal of systems change.

As a Policy Researcher/Data Scientist at UHERO, Trey Gordner supports policymakers and community leaders in improving housing affordability and accelerating disaster recovery. Before joining UHERO, Trey directed the Hawaii Zoning Atlas–a statewide data advocacy project seeking to reduce the cost of housing through zoning reform–and served in the Office of the Governor. Past roles include U.S. Digital Corps Fellow, Partners for Democracy Hawaii Fellow, lecturer at UH-Manoa, and startup founder.

Trey holds a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech, where his research included the applications of artificial intelligence in urban planning and the relationship between land use regulations and housing costs. When he’s not reading or thinking about public policy, you can find him chasing a tireless toddler around Ewa Beach, where he also serves on the neighborhood board and the HCDA board for the Kalaeloa Development District.

Susan serves as Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s Senior Policy Analyst for Affordable Housing. In her role, she focuses on advancing Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s mission of creating a Hawaiʻi where everyone has access to a safe, healthy, and affordable home. To strengthen the organization's collective efforts, she focuses on researching housing policy, and educating the public on local housing issues and solutions, and developing effective advocacy strategies. She also chairs the advocacy committee for Partners in Care, a coalition of nonprofit homeless service providers that develops recommendations to address gaps in Oahu’s Continuum of Care (CoC) for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Tia L. R. Hartsock is the inaugural director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience, housed within the Office of the Governor Josh Green, M.D. It is the first statewide office of its kind in the nation, supporting the wellness and resilience of Hawai’i’s people through trauma-informed, healing-centered strategies.

Born and raised on the island of Oahu, I have always worked for nonprofits throughout my career. I currently work for the City and County of Honolulu with the HONU program, navigating unsheltered individuals to various shelter options.

Representative Ikaika Olds represents House District 23 — Mō‘ili‘ili and McCully — and is the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Human Services & Homelessness. Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Representative Olds served two combat deployments in Iraq as an infantryman, and for nearly a decade, served as a Community Homeless Liaison with the Hawaii Department of Education.

Laura Thielen is the Executive Director of Partner In Care (PIC). PIC is a support organization for homeless service and housing providers on Oahu. Laura has worked with those experiencing houselessness for more than 30 years and believes that housing is healthcare and that we can end homelessness in Hawaii together.

Chris Molina is a Strategic Initiatives Liaison for the Liliʻuokalani Trust, he has been with the organization for nearly a decade starting his journey as a community building facilitator helping with direct services in a group setting with a specific focus on family strengthening and youth development. After several years of deep learning Chris transitioned into work related to Liliʻuokalani Trust's Strategic Plan "Wehe Ke Ala" with a focus on systems issues such as homelessness, affordable housing, and child welfare. He is honored to be involved with this work and believes that collaboration, coordination, and teamwork make Hawaiʻi the special place that it is. He is originally from Māili on the westside of Oahu and currently resides with his spouse and three fur babies on the island of Kauai. Akahai. Lōkahi. ʻOluʻolu. Haʻahaʻa. Ahonui.

Kim Nabarro is a dedicated peer support specialist with lived experience navigating homelessness, addiction, incarceration, and the adult probation system. She serves as a Parent Partner for EPIC ʻOhana, supporting parents in the child welfare system through the reunification process. As a Makua Ally, she works with pregnant women experiencing substance use challenges, connecting them to essential health services, including prenatal care and substance use disorder treatment, as well as resources that promote healthy outcomes for both mother and baby.

Beyond her direct service work, Kim is a passionate advocate at the local, state, and national levels, working to drive systemic change for families and individuals facing similar challenges. She is an active member of the Family First Hawaii Lived Experience Advisory Group within Child Welfare Services (CWS) and has served on the Partners in Care Continuum of Care (PIC CoC) Advisory Board as a Lived Experience member. In this role, she helps address concerns within Hawaiʻi housing support programs, offering insights from her firsthand experience as a recipient of the housing assistance system.

Marty Oliphant has worked for Liliʻuokalani Trust since 2016. He serves as their Executive Director at Lydia House. He has over 30 years of working in social services in both community and government organizations. He has served children and families in both prevention and intervention programs. Marty volunteers with community groups and serves on both local and national boards promoting the wellbeing of children and families. He was raised in and currently lives in Kaneohe. He and his wife will be celebrating their 29th anniversary this year. They have two incredible adult children and a son-in-law.

Keʻōpū Reelitz has made her career into a love letter to her three young kids. She firmly believes that when Native Hawaiian families in Hawaiʻi thrive, everyone thrives. This belief has driven her career in advocacy, communications and policy. Reelitz is currently the Director of Policy & Strategy at Papa Ola Lōkahi. She has her B.A. In political science and international studies from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. from University of Arizona Rogers College of Law.

Sunny Chen is an Army Nurse Corps veteran, certified Lactation Consultant, and a recognized leader in healthcare. With a background in nursing, business, and public health, she has dedicated her career to supporting mothers, children, and families through innovative, community-driven solutions.Passionate about social impact and empowering women, Sunny is committed to creating positive change and fostering resilience in the communities she serves. Above all, she treasures her role as a mother to a creative daughter and two high-spirited boys. Motherhood has shaped her into a compassionate and resilient leader, inspiring her advocacy for family well-being and strengthening support systems for parents and children.

A self-described “product of Catholic Charities, Salvation Army and The Institute for Human Services,” Kaimbrea was homeless over 10 years ago, navigated her way through shelter (while pregnant) and transitional housing (with a newborn) and then was blessed with permanent housing at Kahauiki Village. Kaimbrea then spent more than three years working with the IHS outreach team, then transitioned to Partners in Care’s Landlord Engagement Program and is now with Partners in Cares Planning and Operations Team. For her, everything she went through has shaped the woman and mother she is today and instilled a permanent passion for social services.

As a former client of Family Promise of Hawaii, Elise is passionate about sharing her lived experiences navigating homelessness and social service systems to help others understand the challenges families face and to inspire other families in similar situations.

Mehret Tekle-Awarun is a strategic leader dedicated to advancing equitable solutions in education, housing, and family services. As Managing Director at Building Changes, she leads cross-sector initiatives that improve housing stability and educational outcomes for children and families experiencing homelessness. She has been instrumental in driving systemic change, fostering partnerships between housing and education sectors, and implementing data-driven strategies to enhance service delivery across Washington State.

In addition to her leadership at Building Changes, Mehret serves as a School Board Director for Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) 121 and as a board member on the Washington State Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) Executive Board. In these roles, she advocates for educational equity, working to ensure that school districts across the state have the resources and support needed to serve all students effectively. Her work at the regional and state levels reflects her deep commitment to addressing disparities in education and housing, amplifying community voices, and shaping policies that create lasting impact.

Through her leadership, Mehret continues to champion innovative, community-centered solutions that drive meaningful change for Washington’s children and families.

Melenani Wai‘alae is the Founder and Executive Director of Ka Lei o Ka Lāhui where she manages program operations and leads survivor cohorts. Ka Lei o Ka Lāhui provides cultural and legal support services to survivors of domestic, sexual, and family violence. As the founding attorney at Wai‘alae Law LLLC, Melenani provides personalized legal counsel to clients facing complex family law issues and is dedicated to working with survivors. Melenani is a Kanaka survivor of domestic violence and mother of three. Melenani graduated with a B.A. (high honors) and M.A. in Hawaiian Studies with a focus in Nation Building and Hawaiian History at the University of Hawaiʻi. She earned her J.D. and a Native Hawaiian law certificate at the William S. Richardson School of Law. She is a Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at the University of Hawaiʻi and writing her dissertation on pathways for pu‘uhonua to empower Kānaka survivors and generate long-term intergenerational healing. Melenani shares her story and personal experiences in working towards healing herself, family, and community through moʻolelo (storytelling, history), mele (songs), and oli (chants). She utilizes her lived and professional experiences to guide and empower survivors in their healing.

Dolly is divinely guided by essence and the unseen in each moment and is driven by kuleana. Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, she has come to know what pilina is and has been blessed to work with keiki to kūpuna in various capacities throughout her life as a Social Worker. Her acquired ʻike consists of a B.A. in Ethnic Studies and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and she continues her learning at Chaminade University. Dolly is a founding member and the Interim Executive Director of Pouhana O Nā Wāhine. She serves as the IVAT Sub-Committee Cultural Chair, enjoys sharing her love of oli with others, and creates space for people to remember the sacred beings that they are. Through her years of experience, she has found the importance of Aloha as the underlying factor in her hana. Although understanding who you are is a life journey, she knows that her kuleana is to connect and support people with creating, building, and restoring pilina through Aloha. She believes that through purposeful and intentional daily living grounded in Aloha this will create, maintain, and enhance the relationships we have in any space and at any time not only with others but also with self; if we know who we are deep inside, then we will see this reflected outside of us and come to know what lōkahi truly means and feels like in completeness. Be, Do, and Know Aloha.

Dr. Barbara DeBaryshe is a faculty Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center on the Family. Her research focuses on child development, family resilience, and early childhood care and education. She also conducts program evaluations and needs assessments for state agencies and community organizations. She feels privileged to collaborate with community stakeholders and serve in a center that works at the intersection of research, practice, and policy.

Donna is a Reengagement Navigator for the Department of Education, Education for Homeless Children and Youth. She has worked with the department since 2019 and prior to taking on this recent role she worked in the Nanakuli-Waianae Complex Area as a Community Homeless Concerns Liaison. The greatest asset to her work is the positive relationships she’s built with the school community, various service providers and organizations, because “it takes a village to raise a child”. Donna is a wife, mother and grandmother and has lived in the Waianae community with her family for the last 30 years. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Human Services from the University of Phoenix.

Born and raised in Kāneʻohe, Ryan Catalani has over a decade of experience serving as a nonprofit leader and collaborating with communities to address critical social challenges. Since 2022, he has served as Executive Director of Family Promise of Hawaiʻi, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of families with children in Hawaiʻi facing homelessness by providing housing, resources, and support. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Pacific Gateway Center, Kualoa-Heʻeia Ecumenical Youth (KEY) Project, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Aloha Chapter along with the Advisory Board of Partners in Care (PIC) and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) Committee of the national Family Promise Board of Directors. Ryan was named one of Hawaiʻi’s “40 Under 40” by Pacific Business News and received an “Emerging Leader” award from the Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations (HANO).

Cheryl Schuch is the CEO of Family Promise, the leading national nonprofit dedicated to ending family homelessness. With a network spanning nearly 200 communities across more than 40 states, the organization provides eviction prevention, emergency shelter, and affordable housing solutions. Schuch brings over 30 years of leadership experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, including more than 15 years as CEO of Family Promise of West Michigan before assuming her national role in 2023. She serves on the boards of the National Women’s Shelter Network and Butterball Farms and has been recognized with numerous professional and leadership honors throughout her career.

Destinee, originally from Hawaii, earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Portland, OR. With several years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she has focused on supporting youth and young adults facing homelessness in Portland, San Diego, and Las Vegas. Her work includes providing trauma-informed care and working with low-barrier shelters to ensure accessible and compassionate support for individuals in need. In 2023, Destinee received her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Denver and joined Family Promise of Hawaii as the Director of Family Services.

Danny Goya is a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) trainer who utilizes the Lakota 'two-eye-seeing' approach that integrates Western sciences with Indigenous cultural practices to foster safe spaces. His work builds wellness and resilience, addresses community issues, and provides healing spaces for cultural and historical oppression.

With over 15 years of teaching experience in DOE, HAIS, community college, and international settings, Mr. Goya also brings 16 years of non-profit and community work experience as a community connector. Currently, he serves as the Director of Strategies and Innovation at the Mālama ʻĀina Foundation and as a Trauma-Informed Trainer and Wellness & Resilience Coach at Ke Ala Hoʻaka Associates.

Mr. Goya created the Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education Program, the first preschool accredited by NAEYC. His career includes roles as a Strategy Consultant at Kamehameha Schools and the Partners in Development Foundation. He holds advanced graduate certifications in TIC from the University of Vermont and in secondary education curriculum design from UH Mānoa.

Stacy Pollard has over fifteen years of experience working in the homeless services field. She has served as Regional Director for Family Promise since 2016, providing Affiliates with training, support, and resources to enhance program services and operations. Stacy also serves as Chair of the Family Promise Government Relations Committee, coordinating advocacy efforts for the network. Stacy holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, with an emphasis in Management and Community Practice.

Josie Howard is the founder and CEO of We Are Oceania, empowering the Micronesian community in Hawaii to navigate success while honoring the integrity of their diverse heritage. With ancestral and a childhood rooted on Onoun (a small island in Chuuk state, geographically located between Chuuk Lagoon and Yap Outer Island), Josie Howard possesses a deep cultural understanding of the people of Micronesia that is woven into her success today – paving a path for the thriving Micronesian community in Hawaii. From her island education to her bachelor's degree in Anthropology and minor in biology with a certification in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She later got her master's degree in social work and Certificate in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Josie continues to uphold her values and respect humbly and strongly for her culture and the culture of others, advocating for the overall health and well-being of people.

Aunty Blanche McMillan (and husband Willie) CEO and founder of Hui Ma’hai Aina in Waimanalo. Aunty Blanche is one amazing woman who has had a vision and a plan for many years to help the people in her community, so thus Hui Ma’hai Aina was born! As COVID was starting in early 2020 Blanche realized she had to immediately help the houseless community in Waimanalo and took 11 willing adults off the beach to start a little community in her own backyard. Hui Ma’hai Aina has now grown to 73 residents of which 12 are children, who live in the now 50 tiny homes, where they have grown work together and thrive and give back to the surrounding community. Auntie's dream is to eventually have 300 homes in a significant community that continues to contribute and give back.

We are blessed with a big thriving community garden that continues to grow with many native plants, fruits and vegetables, and soon will expand to include livestock and chickens. Also a big community kitchen, thanks to Castle Foundation, and organize and distribute the Foodbank for the Waimanalo area.
We host all holidays and special occasions with the surrounding Waimanalo community.
On admission to the community all of the residents are registered with the Waimanalo Health Clinic, registered for SNAP, registered to vote, and assisted in obtaining any legal documents they need.
Blanche is already in the process of securing land on each of the other Hawaiian islands to do the same thing there.

We were very recently approved for an OHA grant to soon build classrooms, a halau, a library and more on the property and help expand Aunty Blanche’s vision. Blanche and the whole McMillan family has accomplished, in a very short amount of time, what many of our leaders (without a penny from them) have talked about for several years, but she actually walks the talk.

Noreen’s current role involves advocating for long-term policy solutions to improve child and family mental health, safety, and wellness in Hawai‘i. She brings a decade of experience on projects to address inequities through data-driven decision making, programming, and social policy in Hawai‘i. Noreen’s prior work spans issues relating to health and mental health, social inequalities, and the criminal legal system.

Nalani Kaai was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, but now resides in Kāneʻohe alongside the beautiful Ko’olau mountain range.

She earned her B.S. in Sociology with a minor in Social Work at Pepperdine University in 2021, and her MSW at the University of Hawaiʻi, Thompson School of Social Work, in 2023.

She is passionate about working with mākua (parents) and their kamaliʻi (children) to help strengthen their pilina (relationships) to one another and to their cultural roots. She envisions that this work will empower our ʻohana (families) to heal and thrive together.

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Lubei is a dedicated community advocate and Family Support Coordinator for Family Promise of Hawaii. With a strong background in sustainable agriculture from GoFarm Hawaii, she has previously led the Urban Agriculture Program at IHS and the Sustainable Farm Program at Kahauiki Village and Hale Mauliola. She led the Boys & Girls Club under the Weed & Seed Program in Waipahu, providing vital resources and activities for youth in the area and has volunteered on the Uku Project Waipahu by the Dept of Health, Micronesian Community Network Planning Committee and Palau Media Team for the Festival of Pacific Arts in Hawaii. She was also the headlining artist at the 45th Annual Pacific Island Forum. Lubei blends creativity with activism, being an artist, podcast producer and publisher of language preservation books for children.

I live at Pu’uhonua O Waianae Village since 2012, and still reside there. I'm also a board member of a non-profit called Dynamic Community Solutions.

My name is Kala I am a leader at Pu’uhonua O' Wai’anae. We are a community built on ALOHA! I am a single parent of 3 beautiful children.