Board of Directors

JAMES KOSHIBA

James was elected to begin his service on the Foundation Board on November 1, 2014. He is a nonprofit entrepreneur, community organizer and writer who was born and raised in Hawaiʻi. He has worked with nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in a variety of roles including as an investor, consultant, volunteer and executive. He believes Hawaiʻi can offer valuable lessons for humanity, particularly in the way island communities embrace diverse cultures, are informed by ancestry, and maintain a relationship with the natural environment.

KYLEE PŌMAIKAʻI MAR

Kylee Pōmaikaʻi Mar joined the Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation Board on June 1, 2016. Her life's work is steeped in the daily gifts from our pae ʻāina, kūpuna, and the deep kuleana we all share in what makes Hawaiʻi one of the most special places on the planet.

She is the Director of Archives & Special Collections at Punahou School. A lifelong learner and educator, her teaching experience spans Pre-K through Higher Education with a passion towards public and private partnerships. Kylee is an active volunteer with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and wa'a kaulua (double-hulled voyaging canoe) Kamaola.

Kylee offered the following reflection,

As stewards of Hau'oli Mau Loa Foundation, we embrace our mission with a deep sense of kuleana and aloha, weaving together hope for children and environmental stewardship. Philanthropy is one of many avenues to consider and act upon the question...how might we?

BARBARA KALIPI

Barbara Kalipi joined Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation's Board of Directors on November 1, 2019. Born and raised on the island of Molokai, she developed a deep appreciation for the impact of family and community in shaping our lives. After completing her education on Oʻahu in 1975, she returned home and began a lifelong career as a social worker at Liliʻuokalani Trust (LT), engaging with Hawaiian children and families to improve their quality of life. She recently retired after 45 years of service and helps her son on the family homestead farm with their avocado trees and kalo, and making poi as an added value product. She participates in local community groups concerned with food sovereignty and environmental issues/solutions.

Upon joining the Board, Barbara offered the following reflection,

I admire Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation's commitment to partnering with its grantees in a very deliberate, intentional, and collaborative way.

ANIM STEEL

Anim Steel joined Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation's Board of Directors on June 1, 2021. Born in Ghana, Anim grew up in West Africa and Washington, D.C. He is the co-founder of the Real Food Generation, which harnesses the power of youth and universities to build a fair and sustainable food system. Prior to Real Food Generation, Anim led national initiatives at The Food Project in Boston, consulted with Economic Development Assistance Consortium, and developed employment training programs at the Bowery Residents Committee. He holds a B.A. in Astrophysics and History from Williams College and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He is the recipient of a James Beard Leadership Award and received an Echoing Green award for social entrepreneurship.

Upon joining the Board, Anim offered the following reflection,

It is so meaningful to me to support the kind of deeply-partnering, trust-based philanthropy that has made such a big difference in my own work. I am proud to be upholding that ethic through the Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation and our relationships.

KEAHI MAKAIMOKU

Keahi Makaimoku joined Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation's Board of Directors on November 1, 2023. Her full bio can be found on the Staff page.

HANS BERTRAM-NOTHNAGEL

Completed his board service on May 31, 2021

Like the Foundation's benefactor, Helga Glaesel-Hollenback, Hans is of German origin. Starting in the late 1970s, Hans advised Helga on legal matters in the US, and he has served on the Foundation's Board since its inception in 1990. Until Helga's death in 1997, he did so together with her and, from the very beginning, has helped to realize Helga's vision for the Foundation's work and its future. Based on that experience, Hans observes,

Helga not only funded the Foundation, but also gave direction how she wished her philanthropic vision to be implemented. Over the past three decades, we have tried to live up to her guidance. And the resonance to our efforts from the Foundation's partners and from the community bears evidence for the value of Helga's guidance. To my colleagues I say: stay the course! And to our partners: my thanks and respect for their dedicated work and their friendship.

Born in Munich, Germany, Hans's professional career from 1973 until his retirement at the end of 2008 was devoted to the practice of law, predominantly in international finance transactions, with the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, New York.

WAYNE M. PITLUCK

Completed his board service on October 31, 2019

Beginning in the early 1990s, Wayne was Hawaiʻi legal counsel for the Foundation's benefactor, Helga Glaesel-Hollenback, and worked with her and Hans in implementing the Foundation's activities. Following Helga's death in 1997, Wayne joined the Foundation's Board. As a forty-plus year resident of Hawaiʻi, Wayne shares the respect Helga had for the conditions, issues, culture and traditions in Hawaiʻi that, in accordance with her wishes, have been, and will continue to be, important in carrying out the Foundation's grantmaking in Hawaiʻi.

When reflecting on his more than 20 years of service as a Founding Director of the Foundation, Wayne said,

There are many fond memories that I have from my work with the Foundation over the years. However, I believe what has brought me the most joy are the relationships that I have been able to develop through this work. The individuals who work with our Partner organizations are a truly remarkable group of people, each visibly passionate and wholly dedicated to their mission. It has been a unique opportunity for me to know each of them, and to engage with them in such meaningful ways.

Wayne was a practicing attorney from 1965 until his retirement in 2009, specializing in antitrust law, trade association law, and providing risk reduction services for clients in business and real estate. Wayne was the founding partner of the law firm Pitluck Kido & Aipa, LLP, in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

JANIS REISCHMANN

Completed her board service & role as Executive Director on October 31, 2023

Janis was hired as the Foundation's first Executive Director in April 2008, bringing to this role more than 20 years of working in the nonprofit sector in Hawaiʻi. Her experience with grantmaking foundations includes seeking grants from local as well as national foundations and serving as staff or consultant to Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and various family and independent foundations. For seven years, Janis led a consulting practice, largely in Hawaiʻi, that focused primarily on organizational and project development with most of her clients being nonprofit or government agencies.

On being a part of Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation Janis says,

Over the years I have learned that grantmaking foundations realize their success through the hard work of others. For this reason, I am deeply indebted to the organizations that have partnered with the Foundation in the past and to those that will engage with us in the future, as it is through them, we will have the impact our benefactor intended.