Our Team

He pūkoʻa kani ʻāina (a coral reef grows into an island)

We come from many paths and perspectives, yet we are united by Aloha and Lāulima, a commitment to purposeful work, and a deep respect for meaningful connection.

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Kumu Kuʻualohanui Kauliʻa Founder and Board Chair

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Kumu Kalani Kaawa Flores-Hatt Vice Chair and Chief of Programs - Hawai’i

A proud kupa of Nānākuli in Waiʻanae, Paul Kalani “Boboy” Kaawa Flores-Hatt, Jr., stands at the intersection of ʻike Hawaiʻi, education, and community leadership. A respected kumu hula, professor, and cultural practitioner, his life’s work centers on place-based learning, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and the cultivation of ʻike grounded in aloha ʻāina, guiding present and future generations through culturally rooted education, leadership, and service to the lāhui.

Born in ʻEwa, raised on Hawaiian Homestead lands in Nānākuli, and shaped by generations of ʻike Hawaiʻi, Kuʻualohanui Kauliʻa’s life has been guided by language, hula, and kuleana. Fluent in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi from childhood and deeply rooted in the traditions of hula, oli, and hoʻoponopono, Kuʻu carries the wisdom of kūpuna, the discipline of revered kumu, and a lifelong commitment to teaching, healing, and cultural continuity, ensuring the legacy of his lineage lives on through the next generation.

Kumu Kanani Cadaoas Chief of Programs - Continent and Board Director

A middle-aged Asian woman with gray hair and glasses sitting indoors at a table, holding a blue pen, in a cozy kitchen or dining area with wooden cabinets and warm lighting.

Carole Puanani Ching Chief of Operations and Board of Directors

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Fox Pōmaika’i Garcia-Deatry Chief of Internal and External Relations and Board of Directors

Kumu Makana Garma Chief Cultural Officer and Secretary

Kumu Keahi Kim Chief Financial Officer and Board Treasurer

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A man in glasses wearing a colorful floral shirt and a yellow lei, standing in a lush green jungle, with large green leaves on his head.
A woman in a wide-brim straw hat and dark patterned shirt, with earrings and layered necklaces, stands in a lush green jungle with dense foliage, smiling and touching her chin thoughtfully.

Ho‘okō Palapala Carole Puanani Ching is a third-generation Chinese immigrant with roots in Oʻahu and Northern California. Since settling in Sacramento in 1988, she has led impactful nonprofit work, including serving as the founding Director of My Sister’s House, supporting Asian and Pacific Islander women and children affected by domestic violence.

Trained by esteemed kumu and shaped by decades of teaching and performance, her work is rooted in lineage, discipline, and aloha, guiding her haumāna to embody Hawaiian values and carry forward a living legacy of ʻike for future generations.

A global executive, Fox has held senior leadership roles with Al Jazeera Media Network, the Movember Foundation, Outright International, and the National Institutes of Health. He serves as a Board Advisor to the Society of LGBT Entertainment Critics and holds a graduate degree from The George Washington University.

With decades of experience in education, facilitation, and project leadership, and as a senior project leader supporting Kanaeokana and Kamehameha Schools, Makana brings ʻike, relational leadership, and cultural integrity to KAHA’s work, guided by the values of akahai, lōkahi, ʻoluʻolu, haʻahaʻa, and ahonui in service to future generations.

Grounded in a professional background in accounting and corporate financial leadership, Keahi strengthens the organization through thoughtful strategy, fiscal responsibility, and clear governance, ensuring that resources are managed with care to sustain cultural practice, community trust, and future generations.