HFCC Board of Directors

Kathy Wyatt is President of Hale Hauʻoli Hawaiʻi, whose mission is to promote positive aging through community education programs, adult day care options, and caregiver support groups, established in 2017. She is a registered nurse with Master’s degrees in Nursing and Business Administration, and is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator. Ms. Wyatt’s experience spans 20 years working with the elderly in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, as well as adult day care.

She is on the Board of Directors of the Policy Advisory Board for Elderly Affairs (Chair of the Recognition and Awards Committee), the Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, the Caregiver Foundation, and Kokua Council (Secretary), is the 2019 President of the Hawaii Pacific Gerontology Society and she is active in the Kupuna Caucus. In addition, she operates Hale Hauʻoli Hawaiʻi, an adult day care center in Aiea and is founder and instructor for Hoaloha Nurse Aide Training Program. She is past President of Adult Day Centers Hawaii

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Savina “Savy” Makalena is a result-driven Retail Legend.  She has an extensive background in retail operations, financial management, sales management, marketing & branding, and training & development.
With more than 30 years of experience across the retail industry, Savina is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Gimme A Break.  As Chief Executive Officer and Founder, she helps non-profit organizations whose mission is to care for caregivers by giving an emotional and physical break as well as resources for their continued well-being.

Prior to Gimme A Break, Savina was Executive Vice President of Sales for Maui Divers Jewelry.  During her time with Maui Divers Jewelry, she was responsible for 35+ retail stores and staff and achieved 20%+ over targeted goals as well as developed and initiated Regional Managers and Store Managers training programs. She also set the standard, executed, and trained management to recruit, interview, select, and retained quality employees, created a TEAM environment, and built trust and loyalty amongst the employees.

Savina has also served as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and the Vice President of Retail Operations for Martin & Macarthur where she grew retail from 2 to 12 stores with 2 new stores on the horizon and was responsible for 12 retail store operations, management, and staff. Throughout her career, Savina has also worked with Sephora USA, NCL America, and was an instructor for Hawaii Prep Academy.

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Gary Simon is the AARP Hawaii State President and the Chair of the AARP Hawaii Executive Council. Gary is the former Director of Corporate Affairs and Advocacy at the St. Francis Healthcare System and was previously Executive Director of St. Francis Hospice and Program Director for St. Francis Health Services for Senior Citizens. He serves on the boards of The Arc in Hawaii, the Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, Kokua Council, and the Hawaii Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs. Gary was a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

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Helen Wagner was born and raised in Southern California and a retired business owner. Her husband was CEO of the Bobby Benson Center and a Marriage and Family therapist for the federal government and office in Kailua. Originally, she advocated for Grandparents raising Grandchildren.

She is very much involved in politics and community service. She currently services on the Kokua Council Board of Directors and a member of the State’s Kūpuna Caucus. She is a life member of Oahu Republican Women’s Club and member of AARP (district 60). 

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Audrey Suga-Nakagawa is the AARP Hawaii Director of Advocacy. Audrey has more than 30 years of consulting and management experience in public health, health care administration, social services and gerontology. Prior to becoming AARP Hawaii Director of Advocacy, she served on AARP Hawaii’s Executive Council and provided outreach and advocacy expertise to public- and private-sector agencies as the owner of ASN Consulting Services. Audrey coordinated the development of Hawaii’s statewide Aging and Disability Resource Center, the one-stop shop for long-term care resources for elderly and disabled adults, family caregivers and health care professionals. She has also provided project management support for the Honolulu Age Friendly City initiative.

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David Nakamaejo is President of Comforting Hands Senior Care, a home care agency.  From 1976 to 2010 David was Professor of Business Education at Kapiolani Community College, teaching marketing and management.  He served as a volunteer member, on the State of Hawaii Department of Health Fall Prevention Consortium and Injury Prevention Advisory Council.  He also served on the Advisory Committee for the Executive Office on Aging, Fall Prevention Strategic Plan.

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Eldon Wegner received his Ph.D in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1967.  He retired in 2009 after 43 years in an academic career, 38 of those years in the Department of Sociology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he taught Medical Sociology and Sociology of Aging and was 9 years Chair of the Department.  He is Professor Emeritus in Sociology. He served as the 2010 President of Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society. 

In 2008, he was appointed by the Hawaii Legislature to the Hawaii Long-Term Care Commission, which made policy recommendations to the Legislature on financing and restructuring long term care in its final report in 2012. He served for many years as an ex officio member representing the University on the state Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, where he also was vice-chair of the Legislative Committee.  He was a founding member and continues to serve on the Board of the Hawaii Caregiver Coalition where he is active in their advocacy efforts including contributing to its annual Aging and Disability Report.

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Tani Kalei Salazar, LSW is the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Services Coordinator at the Executive Office on Aging (EOA), Hawaiʻi State Department of Health. Tani earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work with a specialization in gerontology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Prior to her time at EOA, she worked as a Social Worker in a post-acute rehabilitation skilled nursing facility setting. She loves working with ku̅puna and caregivers. From a young age, she adored her hard-working immigrant grandparents and helped her family care for them in their golden years. Although they have since passed on, they continue to inspire her to work towards improving things in Hawaiʻi for older adults, people living with dementia, and caregivers.

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Rowena Dagdag-Andaya is the Executive for the Maui County Office on Aging. She previously was the Director for the Maui County Public Works Department. Rowena has served on the boards of several community and professional organizations, including the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the United Filipino Council of Hawaii, the Maui Police Commission, and the board of the Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation. She is a 1999 graduate of Gonzaga University.

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Kealohaku’ualohaku’upoki’i (Poki’i) Balaz, DNP, EMBA

Dr. Kealohaku’ualohaku’upoki’i (Poki’i) Balaz is a Public Health Executive Leader and Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Innovation. In this role, she is dedicated to transforming long-term care systems through innovative solutions and culturally grounded policies. As a Native Hawaiian geriatric nurse practitioner at Kōkua Kalihi Valley Health Center, her clinical expertise, combined with her experience as a caregiver for family members with Alzheimer’s Disease and Autism, informs her advocacy for holistic and culturally sensitive care. Dr. Balaz previously held key roles at Lunalilo Home, including Chief Policy and Compliance Officer and Interim Executive Director, where she improved community connections, resident care, and staff recruitment.

Dr. Balaz has significantly advanced aging-related legislation in Hawai’i, including the Silver Alert Bill and the Family Caregiver Assistance Act. She chairs the Quality Care Committee and the Long-Term Interagency Task Force, where she emphasizes the expansion of care and improvement of population health. Her academic background includes an Executive Master of Business Education, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and a Master of Science in Nursing Education, complemented by additional training in Native Hawaiian medicine. She has been recognized with a Congressional Commendation, an honorary certificate for service to the State of Hawai’i, and inclusion in Hawai’i Business Magazine “20 for the Next 20.” Notably, she is the first leader from Hawai’i to be accepted into the Obama Foundation Scholars Program.

Dr. Balaz serves on the Alzheimer’s Association’s Board of Directors and contributes to the Strategic Plan subcommittee. She is actively involved in national and international committees, including IA2, the Moving Forward Coalition, CARE Registry at UCSF, and the Center for Health Policy at Columbia University. Locally, she contributes to the Policy Advisory Board for Elderly Affairs and initiatives such as the Healthy Brain Initiative Native Hawaiian Roadmap. Her research and publications focus on cultural adaptation in health interventions and public policy impacts. Dr. Balaz has interests in Alzheimer’s and dementia care, caregiver financial viability, and Native Hawaiian health, with an emphasis on innovation, strategic planning, systems change, and policy development.

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