piia aarma

board chair

Piia M. Aarma is the founder and president of Pineapple Tweed Public Relations and Marketing, offering services ranging from media relations to advertising. She has been involved in communications for more than 30 years. Her experience includes corporate and issue communications, marketing, digital communications, national-level lobbying and PR, newspaper reporting and editing and magazine writing. She has broad industry and functional expertise with specialties in image and positioning, content creation, media relations and crisis management.

Aarma serves on numerous nonprofit boards and is deeply involved in the entrepreneurial community. She is a mentor at Blue Startups and Mana Up where she is also a sponsor, and a Professional in Residence for the Pacific Asia Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) at University of Hawaii and a member of its advisory board. She serves on the boards of Hawaii Nature Center (past president), KCAA Preschools of Hawai‘i, and Hawai‘i Green Growth (past president), and is a federally appointed member of the Hawai‘i-Pacific Export Council and is a sponsor of the Hawai‘i Venture Capital Association. She was the 2016 president of The Pacific Club, the oldest business and social club west of the Mississippi. She has been a member of the board since 2018.

maile meyer

vice-chair

Maile Meyer is the principal of Ho‘omaika‘i, a contemporary art curation and management organization based in Honolulu. She works with and represents Hawai‘i-based artists to procure and fulfill art commissions for private and corporate clients. She is also the executive director of Pu‘uhonua Society, a nonprofit that supports Native Hawaiian and Hawai‘i-based artists and cultural practitioners through the development of exhibitions, makers space, and cultural classes that are taught in the traditional Hawaiian way.

Meyer is well known as the proprietor of Nā Mea Hawai‘i, a community resource and retail purveyors of local goods, fine art, and traditional objects made in Hawai‘i. She recently launched a new venture, as co-owner of Arts & Letters Nu‘uanu, a mixed-use bookshop, art gallery, co-working, and events space in Chinatown on O‘ahu.

masako shinn

secretary

Masako Shinn is a board trustee of American Friends of M+ and Japan ICU Foundation, as well as a minority partner of Graphis Inc., a publisher of books and magazines on design. Prior to Graphis, she held senior positions at Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc., Salomon Brothers, Inc., and Morgan Stanley, Inc. Masako has served on the boards of the Asia Foundation, Japan Society, Freer and Sackler Galleries at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, and the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts at the Kennedy Center.

She received her bachelor’s degree from the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, a master’s degree in East Asian Studies from Columbia University and a doctorate degree in the History of Design from Bard Graduate Center in New York. She joined the Hawai‘i Contemporary board in 2021.

TREVER ASAM

treasurer

Trever Asam is a partner at law firm Cades Schutte. He represents taxpayers in tax controversies and disputes with the IRS and the Hawai‘i State Department of Taxation. He handles audits, administrative appeals, and litigation in both the federal and state courts, including the courts of appeal. Asam also advises nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations on issues including obtaining tax exemption, addressing unrelated business income, and using joint ventures and subsidiary organizations. He currently serves as the firm’s pro bono coordinator.

He is a regular speaker on Hawai‘i State taxation and the taxation of nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining Cades Schutte, Asam was in private practice at Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C. and clerked for Judge Susan Oki Mollway at the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. He has served on the board of Hawai‘i Contemporary since 2017.

kristen chan

board member

Kristen Chan brings more than 20 years of experience in the arts and culture community in Honolulu, as well as a passion for the potential of contemporary art to speak to multiple generations in compelling ways. As an art collector and champion of Hawai‘i’s diverse arts ecosystem, she joined the Hawai‘i Contemporary Board in 2016 and has since endeavored with the belief that Honolulu can be an international city renowned for its visual arts.

With a strong background in financial consulting, Chan also serves on the boards of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival and Joyful Heart Foundation, and has served on the Hawai‘i Opera Theatre board in the past. She has chaired numerous fundraising efforts, including campaigns for The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu; Hawai‘i International Film Festival; Hawai‘i Opera Theatre; and Punahou School. She has been a member of the Hawai‘i Contemporary board since 2015.

Katie Kaanapu

Board Member

As founder of DEPTH marketing + pr, Katie Kaanapu is a respected leader with a proven track record in the real estate, retail, and hospitality industries. Kaanapu has built a 20-year reputation around her notable expertise in marketing, brand partnerships, public relations, and VIP events, including campaigns for Charlotte Russe, Rampage, the Howard Hughes Corporation, and Brookfield Properties — to name a few.

After working for over two decades for some of the biggest retail and real estate brands, Kaanapu launched DEPTH marketing + pr to focus on utilizing her strengths and best assets to be a strategic partner for her clients.

Kaanapu's reputation is backed by award-winning campaigns and a carefully curated network of business, government, community, creative and media connections that allow her to deliver brand-defining results for her collection of clients and partners.

jonathan b. kindred

board member

Jonathan B. Kindred is Managing Member of KR Consulting LLC, a professional services consulting firm located in Lahaina, Hawai‘i. Previously, he was employed at Morgan Stanley in a career spanning multiple roles in New York, London and Tokyo from 1983–2019. In his final position at Morgan Stanley, Kindred served as President & Chief Executive Officer of both Morgan Stanley Japan Holdings Co., Ltd. and Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd. from 2007-2019. During this period, Kindred also served as a member of Morgan Stanley’s Management Committee.

Kindred is a member of the Board of Councilors of Fast Retailing Foundation, and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee. He is also a Director of TY Management Corporation. He previously served as Chairman of the International Bankers Association of Japan from 2011–2017. He also previously served as a Director of the U.S.-Japan Business Council, a Director of the Japan Society of New York, and a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Advisory Panel on Global Financial City Tokyo. He has been a member of the board since 2018.

gloria lau

board member

Gloria Lau has more than 30 years of experience at leading nonprofit and commercial organizations, both in the US and internationally. She was formerly the CEO of YWCA USA in Washington, D.C. as well as of the YWCA Hawai‘i Island in Hilo. She held executive management positions at Charles Schwab in the Advisor Services and International divisions, and served as President and CEO of a Tokyo-based joint venture between Charles Schwab and a Japanese financial services organization. She served as Senior Vice President at Citicorp, both in Global Marketing and in Consumer Banking, where she was responsible for retail units across the US.

Lau is also a co-founder of FoundHer, the first Hawai‘i-based accelerator program for women entrepreneurs, especially those of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian descent, who are often overlooked in most incubator programs.

Gloria received a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a champion of the power of art to enrich lives, build community, and showcase Hawai’i as globally recognized, vibrant center for culture and creativity and has been a member of the board since 2015

Jason Lazzerini

Board Member

Jason Lazzerini has held leadership roles in the banking sector for most of his career. In his current role at Central Pacific Bank (CPB), he serves as executive vice president and chief digital officer. Prior to joining CPB, Lazzerini was a management consultant and served as president and CEO of Locations, one of the largest real estate services companies in Hawai‘i. At American Savings Bank, Lazzerini was the director of Home Loans, led the Investment Services Division and Business Banking group. He was also the Director of Learning and Development and a Regional Executive at ASB. Jason has held leadership roles in consumer banking and wholesale lending at Deutsche Bank, U.S. Bancorp, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. 

A recovering professional musician, Jason is still active in the arts and the community. He served on the executive board of Aloha Medical Missions and as an advisor on various nonprofit committees. Jason has been faculty at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business’ Pacific Coast Banking School since 2017. 

Patricia Chang Moad

Board Member

Patricia Chang Moad leads as Vice President of Operations for Continental Assets Management, a boutique family real estate investment company with headquarters in Los Angeles and Honolulu, with more than $150 million in launches across a diverse range of asset classes including: hospitality, commercial, retail, multi-use and land development in California, Hawai‘i, Texas, and parts of the Midwest. Moad is one of the few female executive developers in the US to single-handedly helm such portfolio of growth from concept to construction and operation — all with sustained success.

In addition to managing Continental Assets Management’s vast assets, Moad has led numerous high-profile hotel renovations, successfully navigating projects through mergers, reimagined brand standards, and progressive style innovations, all within a volatile trade economy. Her most recent hotel reveal is AC Hotel by Marriott Honolulu located in downtown Honolulu’s central business district. The 112-key project is an adaptive reuse of an office/retail building with historic and cultural significance, all of which were an integral priority of the final product. Moad has transformed its presence into a flagship AC hotel that offers three curated food and beverage experiences, a wellness center, and curated art collection having opened in December 2023 with more than 90% occupancy — leading as the preferred choice for the modern, business traveler.

Amid portfolio developments and voluntary advisory boards, Moad can be found enjoying a round of golf or cheering on her two daughters on the soccer or baseball field, while always making time to experience the newest restaurant with her chef husband.

Chloe Seto Hartwell

Board member

Chloe Seto Hartwell is the Network Coordinator for Hawai‘i Investment Ready (HIR), a 501(c)3 impact intermediary working at the nexus of business, purpose, and culture to restore regenerative abundance to Hawai‘i’s economy. Hartwell manages HIR’s community programs and external affairs, including the flagship HIR Accelerator. At HIR, Hartwell also coaches and consults with nonprofit and for-profit enterprises, leveraging her 15 years of experience in nonprofit development, business strategy, marketing and communications, events, and community-driven philanthropy. Before joining HIR in 2020, she was with Hawai‘i Public Radio in nonprofit development and helped launch the community resourcing platform Kūkulu Switchboard before serving as its first Operator. She is actively engaged in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors — serving on boards, fellowships, and pro bono partnerships that focus on reduced inequalities, health equity, culture and arts, and building just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.

Hartwell is a budding collector and avid supporter of Hawai‘i’s arts and artists and has volunteered with arts and culture institutions, organizations, and artists across Hawaiʻi to support fundraising, strategy, and installation.

Kaʻiulani Sodaro

board member

Kaʻiulani Sodaro is the Senior Vice President of Planning and Development at Howard Hughes Holdings, and oversees strategic forward planning efforts, regulatory agency coordination, infrastructure development, community engagement and government relations at Ward Village. From new town and commercial projects to multimillion dollar renovations of resort properties and sustainability planning, she has more than 20 years of experience in real estate development. Born in Honolulu, Kaʻiulani attended Punahou School, received a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University, and holds a Master of Planning from the University of Southern California. She is member to the American Institute of Certified Planners and serves on the boards of Child & Family Service, the Trust for Public Land Hawaii, and Hawai‘i Contemporary.

anne swayne keir

board member

Anne Swayne Keir is president of her family foundation, The Keith and Judy Swayne Family Foundation. Nationally, she has worked with Exponent Philanthropy, Next Generation Committee, and is a certified family foundation consultant trained at 21/64. She worked with the Resource Generation Family Philanthropy branch, serving on the planning committee for the Creating Change through Family Philanthropy Retreat.

Swayne Keir developed the Hawai‘i chapter of EPIP (Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy), a national organization that, through a social justice lens, develops new leaders to enhance organized philanthropy and its impact on communities. She also co-founded Next Gen Hui, an organization that brings together young donors and trustees in Hawai‘i to share ideas and implement progressive and innovative methods of giving that contribute to systemic shifts in local philanthropy.

Swayne Keir serves on the board of Hawai‘i Public Radio, Hawai‘i Contemporary, The Ho‘iwai Fund, and The Hawai‘i Grantmakers Association. She has presented on panels and workshops for the Hawai‘i nonprofit community and helped organize educational sessions for the Hawai‘i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations’ (HANO) annual conference. She has been a board member of Hawai‘i Contemporary since 2020.