Meet Four Hawaii Women Honored by YWCA of Oahu for their Leadership

Tannya Joaquin, Cecile Sebastian, Karen Radius, Helen Wai and Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano.

Photo: Island Digital Imaging
 

Four Hawaii women were honored for their exemplary leadership at the 37th annual YWCA Leader Luncheon on June 3rd at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel Hawaii Ballroom.

Honorees include Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano, Helen Wai, retired Judge Karen Radius and Dr. Cecile Sebastian.
 

Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano

Moniz-Kahoohanohano serves as associate athletics director at the University of Hawaii. During her soon-to-be 25 years at the UH Athletics department, the gender-equity athletic program has flourished:  athletic opportunities for women have more than doubled, five new female sports teams were introduced, and funding for female teams has grown substantially.
hawaiiathletics.com
 

Helen Wai

Wai works as a financial literacy consultant, speaker and trainer for communities and organizations throughout Hawaii and Mainland. She has trained everyone from university professors to concerned Hawaiian Homestead kupuna in topics that include homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention, and lease cancellation. She also works as an ambassador for Hawaii Energy’s conservation and efficiency program.
helenwai.com
 

Karen Radius

Retired Circuit Court Judge Radius is the founder of Hawaii’s Juvenile Drug Court and Girls Court. The innovative gender-specific programming was lauded a “Best Practice approach” by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice Detention Prevention. Radius has received numerous awards, including the Hawaii State Judiciary’s 2007 Jurist of the Year award, Hawaii Women Lawyer’s 2007 Judge of the Year, the Hawaii State Bar Association ProBono Service Award and the Legal Aid Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
girlscourt.org
 

Cecile Sebastian

Sebastian, a former recipient of HONOLULU’S Best Dentist award, volunteers at the Hawaii Foodbank, Aloha Medical Mission, Give Kids a Smile and Donated Dental Services. She is also founder of the new non-profit Smiles for Success, which provides dental services and supplies to economically disadvantaged women. Sebastian has been awarded the Better Business Bureau of Hawaii’s Torch Award for Business Ethics, and the Network and Pacific Technology Foundation’s Top High Tech Leader Award.
hawaiiansmile.com
 

For more information, visit ywcaoahu.org.