YWCA OF O‘AHU CELEBRATES WOMEN WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
29TH ANNUAL LEADERLUNCHEON
“REDEFINING LEADERSHIP”
Honolulu, Hawai‘i - The YWCA of O‘ahu every year pays tribute to four outstanding women of Hawai‘i. YWCA of O‘ahu’s 29th Annual LeaderLuncheon will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2006 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Coral Ballroom. The theme for this year’s luncheon is “Redefining Leadership” and honorees for 2006 include Adelia Chung, Ku Kahakalau, Ph.D., Faye Watanabe Kurren and Mary Bea Porter King. A special YWCA Lifetime Service Award will also be presented this year to Toshiko Takaezu, internationally-renowned ceramist.
All four LeaderLuncheon honorees are exceptional leaders in their field, yet also devote time for community outreach and volunteer programs. Cheryl Ka‘uhane Lupenui, president and chief executive officer of the YWCA of O‘ahu speaks about this event, “LeaderLuncheon profiles women leaders and their different leadership styles, which in turn, helps to expand the definition of what leadership means today and to encourage the leadership potential in us all. The YWCA prepares and honors women as leaders throughout their careers and within their communities.”
Adelia Chung
Member, Chung Insurance and Investment Group, LLC
Adelia Chung is a member at Chung Insurance and Investment Group, LLC. Adelia just completed her service as the first woman to sit as President of the Million Dollar Round Table, an insurance organization that recognizes top selling agents from around the country. In 1996, Adelia faced a mother’s ultimate fear when her daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. In an attempt to find her daughter, Alana, a bone marrow match, Adelia and her husband Stephen initiated drives that resulted in 30,788 people joining the Hawaii Bone Marrow Registry.
Dr. Ku Kahakalau
Director and Founder, Kanu o ka ‘Aina, New Century Public Charter School
Ku is a respected native Hawaiian educator valued for her dedication towards Hawai‘i’s communities. A visionary and a humanitarian, she established charter schools embracing the native Hawaiian culture and combined it with modern technical skills. Kanu o ka ‘Aina is the first native-designed charter school in the state of Hawai‘i, providing Hawaiian educational and cultural learning and 21st century academic principles and technology.
Mary Bea Porter King
President, Kauai and Hawaii State Junior Golf Association
Mary Bea Porter King is an accomplished golfer and a former member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). She played on its tour for approximately 25 years. Upon relocation to Hawai‘i in 1989, Mary Bea became a driving force in junior golf. She began by working with the Kauai Junior Golf Association in 1994 and founded the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association. Mary Bea has continued to devote herself to helping youngsters develop and build confidence, skill, and character through golf.
Faye Watanabe Kurren
President and Chief Executive Officer, Hawaii Dental Service
Formerly president and chief executive officer of Tesoro Hawaii, and chair of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Faye now serves as president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Dental Service. She is currently chairing the board of the University of Hawaii Foundation and serves on the boards of such businesses as; First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii Pacific Health, Straub Clinic and Hospital, and First Insurance Company of Hawaii as well as non-profit organizations such as; The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Helping Hands Hawaii and the Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Special YWCA Lifetime Service Award (new award category)
Toshiko Takaezu
Ceramist
World renowned artist Toshiko Takaezu is the first recipient of the YWCA of O‘ahu’s Lifetime Service Award. Born on Hawai‘i in Pepeekeo to immigrant Okinawa parents, she was the fifth of eleven children. Toshiko became an instructor at the Cleveland Institute of Art, eventually heading the ceramics department. In 1958, as quoted from The Hawaii Herald, “Takaezu made a bold change in her work; she closed the openings of traditional ceramic forms, such as bowls and vases, which made her famous.” With that move, Takaezu had elevated functional ceramics into artistic sculptures. In 1967, Toshiko was invited to teach at Princeton University where she taught for 25 years. Toshiko has garnered praise both locally and nationally.
WHERE:xxxxxxHilton Hawaiian Village, Coral Ballroom
WHEN:xxxxxxxThursday, May 4, 2006
HOW:xxxxxxxxTo purchase tables or available tickets, please contact Karen Weikert at
xxxxxxxxxxxxx (808) 538-7061, ext. 234 or kweikert@ywcaoahu.org
COST:xxxxxxx Tables of ten for $15,000, $10,000, $5,000 and $1,500; Individual seats for $150
The YWCA LeaderLuncheon is the agency’s largest fundraiser with proceeds benefiting its programs such as Dress for Success Honolulu, Ways to Work, Camp Start Up Hawaii, Fernhurst Residence for Women in Transition, Café Y and PowerPlay! Kitty Lagareta and Bruce Coppa, both principals at Communications Pacific, are generously serving as this year’s co-chairs of the event.
The YWCA of O‘ahu creates opportunities for women’s growth and leadership in pursuit of peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people. Three YWCA centers on O‘ahu offer unique programs that empower women and girls to discover their fullest potential and, in turn, give back to their communities. Founded in 1900, it is the oldest and largest women’s organization in the State of Hawai‘i.
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