Our Staff & Board
Administration
Erik Mann
Executive Director
Erik Mann comes to Hawaii Habitat after providing family services and managing an affordable housing land trust as the Chief Operating Officer of Habitat for Humanity of Island County in Washington State. Erik helped to secure federal and State funding for several projects, and was instrumental in creating a new local tax relief policy for Habitat families. He was self-employed as a broker at Windermere Real Estate before joining Habitat to put his skills to use in creating affordable homeownership opportunities.
Community Service has been at the core of Erik’s life for many years, including serving on his local public school board as the legislative representative and eventually VIce-President, for five years prior to his move to Hawaii. He is excited to lead an organization that can create opportunities statewide. In his free time, you may find Erik volunteering on Habitat build sites, sailing, or exploring the islands and all they have to offer.
Vicki Graham
Program Manager
Vicki Graham is the Program Manager with Hawaii Habitat. In her role, her goal is to increase community engagement and participation in areas of research and development for affordable housing opportunities. She has seen firsthand the detrimental impact of limited affordable housing and is excited to be in a role that will support efforts in alleviating the issue in Hawaii. Previously, Vicki held the position as Executive Director of the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce before leaving to join her husband at his new duty station Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam.
In her free time, Vicki enjoys cooking, star gazing, spending time with family and friends and volunteer with Special Olympics Hawaii where her daughter is an athlete.
2024 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Milo Spindt
President
Broker-in-Charge, Property Management, Elite Pacific, LLC, Kauai
Milo was born in Lawai Valley on the island of Kauai. He attended Kapaa Elementary and Island School before moving to Waimanalo to help take care of his Tutu. Milo attended Iolani School before graduating from Kaiser High School and the University of Oregon where he met his wife Amy. In 2011, they moved home to raise their kids in Kalaheo on Kauai. His work background includes 19 years as a real estate entrepreneur, working for the Department of Land and Natural Resources as the District Land Agent, as a part-time EMT on the Ambulance, as a Firefighter for the County of Kauai and as a Soccer and Track Coach. He is the Founder of Housing For All, a non-profit Affordable Housing Community Land Trust in Washington State. Milo has served the people of Hawaii as a Director and Chairperson on the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board and as a Director and Chairperson on the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.
Maile Alau
Vice President
Organizational Development Advisor, American Savings Bank
Maile is a Certified Master Virtual Trainer for instructor-led trainings and provides hands-on leadership and cultural training. Her previous experience includes Executive Director of Hawaii Maoli; development director for Honolulu Habitat for Humanity; Communications and Donor Relations Manager of YWCA O’ahu; Director of Development and Major Gifts for Chaminade University; Director Fund Development for the USS Arizona Memorial Fund and various positions at the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. Maile also has specialized training in Planned Giving and Marketing Planned Giving Programs; Major Gifts Fundraising; and Virtual Trainer Certification. She is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and St. Mary’s College of California.
Chris Patulski
Treasurer
Finance Director, Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island
Affiliate Representative of Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island
Chris graduated summa cum laude from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI with a B.S. B.A., with a major in Accounting. She has worked 40 years in the accounting field, starting at a local C.P.A. firm where she gained practical hands-on experience while attending college. Chris has held numerous accounting/finance-related positions in a variety of small and large corporations in numerous industries in the for-profit world, with a heavy emphasis in the manufacturing sector. Throughout her career, Chris has been responsible for treasury management, banking relations, risk management, payroll, human resources, procurement, system administration, several ERP system transitions, as well as overseeing all aspects of finance, accounting, and tax functions. Finance Manager (now Director) at Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island is Chris’ first position at a non-profit organization. She enjoys seeing the results of advocacy, philanthropy, and volunteerism come together with Habitat staff’s efforts to further the organization’s mission.
Tyler Gomes
Secretary
Chief Administrator of Kilohana, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
Tyler Iokepa Gomes is a resident of Maunawili, Oʻahu and the Chief Administrator of Kilohana at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, where he oversees the organization’s transformative approach to destination stewardship in the visitor industry. He previously served as Deputy Director to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, an appointment made by Governor David Ige in 2019. Prior to serving at DHHL, Tyler worked for Elemental Excelerator – a non-profit funding climate technology deployment in Hawaiʻi and abroad. He began his career serving as a Public Defender for over four years after graduating from the William S. Richardson School of Law with a JD and Certificate in Native Hawaiian Law in 2012 and from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2009 with a Bachelorʻs Degree in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
At-Large Board Members
Hawley Iona
Director of Finance and Operations, The Nature Conservancy, Hawaii
Hawley Iona is the Director of Finance & Operations of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Hawaii. Prior to joining TNC Hawaii in 2017, Hawley served as Chief Financial Officer at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. She is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and a CPA (not in public practice), spending eight years in Cleveland, Ohio in public practice prior to returning to Hawaii in 2007.
Hawley is a results-driven leader with the ability to position public and organizations as leaders within local communities. She joined the board because affordable housing helps to ensure communities are physically, mentally and financially healthy—which allows families flexibility in their budgets for food and healthcare. Hawley welcomes this opportunity as a board member to help create more opportunities for affordable housing with Hawaii.
Hawley’s all-time favorite hobby is going on new adventures with her son. They love to travel and especially going on roller coasters.
“I welcome this opportunity to help create more opportunities for affordable housing with Hawaii.”
David Enersen
Retired
David Enersen is a retiree since August 2000, having worked in the finance and information technology field. David was a US Peace Corps Volunteer where he served two years of teaching and operating a hospital blood bank in Nigeria. He received a BA in Chemistry from Harvard and an MBA in Finance from Stanford Business School. He has worked as a financial analyst for the Dole Pineapple Company, Sr. Director of Information Systems with Amface Inc. and Sr. Director of Information Technology with Hawaiian Airlines. David’s knowledge and interest in finance have brought him on board as Treasurer since 2005.
In his free time, he enjoys a game of racquetball three to four days a week. He also enjoys going to a movie and dinner with his wife of more than 54 years.
“A key strength that I bring to the team is an interest in following the money.”
Geena Thielen
Complete Construction Services, Corp., Owner and President
Geena Thielen is an award-winning small business owner with over 30 years of experience in the construction industry in Hawaii. She is an active member of the community as an advocate for housing and small business issues as well as a volunteer in youth sports, helping the homeless and community build projects. She is the Owner and President of Complete Construction Services, Corp., which she started in 2001 and has built into a multi-million dollar business with 18 employees. Geena is a Licensed General Contractor, and active member of the Building Industry Associates Hawaii, National Association of Home Builders and currently sits on the Honolulu Building Board of Appeals. She is a graduate of Punahou High School and Oregon State College.
Janice Takahashi
Retired, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation
Janice Takahashi recently retired from the State of Hawaii where she was the Chief Planner for the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. She oversaw the planning, evaluation, legislative, compliance, and asset management functions to support the agency in the development of affordable housing statewide. Prior to joining the state, Janice was a residential loan counselor at State Savings and Loan Association. Janice holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is a proud graduate of Farrington High School and an active member of Shinnyo-en Hawaii.
Kamuela Cobb-Adams
Real Estate Planner/Developer
Kamuelaʻs professional experience includes Oahu Senior Director at Kamehameha Schools where he leads the planning, development, and management of their property portfolio across the state; Director of Kauai County Housing Development; President of GSI Americas Inc.; Executive Director of Kahuku Housing Foundation; and Acting Administrator of Land Development Division at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. He is an active member of the community and a Kamehameha Schools and UH Manoa graduate.
Sara Lin
Journalist and Public Policy Advocate
Sara Lin is an accomplished journalist and public policy advocate who enjoyed successful careers at two of America’s largest newspapers before becoming a speechwriter and chief housing advisor to Governor David Ige of Hawaii. Sara helped the governor surpass the goal of building 10,000 new homes by 2020 and led critical stakeholder discussions that resulted in substantive policy changes that generated more housing. Her role expanded in 2020 to include all land use issues, coordinating key messages and policies to address competing land uses in Hawaii between housing, energy and agriculture. Prior to her government career, Sara covered real estate as a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal in New York, profiling the modest Honolulu neighborhood where former President Barack Obama grew up, and covering a variety of civic beats for the Los Angeles Times. Sara moved home to Honolulu in 2010 to be a founding editor of Honolulu Civil Beat, Hawaii’s leading investigative news site started by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar. She is a graduate of Punahou School and Princeton University.
Affiliate Representatives
Curtis Kropar
Executive Director, Hawaiian Hope Org
Affiliate Representative of Leeward Oahu Habitat for Humanity
In 2005, Kropar founded Hawaiian Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to aiding the IT needs of other organizations, as well as low-income communities. Hawaiian Hope helps nonprofits build database systems and provides tech trainings. It also collects and repairs old computers to donate to nonprofits.
Milani Pimental
Executive Director, Kauai Habitat for Humanity
Affiliate Representative of Kauai Habitat for Humanity
Milani has over 19 years of nonprofit fund development experience. Prior to joining Kauai Habitat in 2010, Milani served as director of annual giving at National Tropical Botanical Garden and worked for several years in the Workforce Investment Act program with the County of Kauai and Network Enterprises, Inc. She is an active member of the Rotary Club of Poipu Beach, having served as president from 2017-2018, and teaches Sunday school at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Milani earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Loyola University Chicago. She joined the board of Hawaii Habitat to serve as a representative for her affiliate, to ensure that Kauai’s affordable housing needs are promoted strongly on a statewide level, and to use her skills to join the effort in creating more affordable housing opportunities for Hawaii.
Vacant
Affiliate Representative of Honolulu Habitat for Humanity
Matthew Bachman
Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Maui
Affiliate Representative of Habitat for Humanity Maui
Matthew graduated from Stetson University College of Law with a J.D. degree. Prior to joining Habitat Maui, Matthew worked in the legal service industry for over 20 years. He is an advocate for children and youth in the foster care system. Matthew currently serves as the chairperson for a multistate networking group for nearly 100 affiliates in the Western Region Collaborative.