Hawai‘i Friends of Justice & Civic Education Board of Directors 

 

Susan Wong, Esq., President

Susan is the retired director of the Administrative Appeals Office of the Department of Human Services responsible for providing constitutionally required due process administrative hearings to individuals adversely affected by agency action.  As a result, Susan is knowledgeable about entitlement programs, medical assistance services and adult and child protective services.  Susan helped to sort out the differences between individual needs and assistance available through governmental resources.  Susan was also responsible for overseeing administrative rules adoption for the Department.  Susan is a licensed attorney since 1980 and has served with the Department of Human Services for more than twenty-five years except for two years with the Office of the Attorney General.  Susan obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law.  She has a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Hawaii, Manoa.  In addition to teaching in the inner city of Richmond, California, Susan has been employed as a professional Girl Scout in Houston, Texas where she was camp director, community organizer and trainer.   Susan is an active member of church, women, cultural, educational and service organizations.  Susan’s interests lie in supporting civic, educational programs not otherwise addressed by governmental agencies to bring about positive change in families and community that promote peace and justice.  She looks for innovative approaches to deal with difficult relationships and conflict resolution.  She brings experience and knowledge of local government processes. 

Roger Epstein, Esq., Vice President
Roger is a graduate of Georgetown University Law School.  He has been a lawyer with one of Hawaii’s largest law firms, Cades Schutte, in Honolulu for the last 30 years where he is a senior partner.  Roger specializes in tax law.  He helped form the Hawai‘i Forgiveness Project (http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/) and is dedicated to improving our community.

 
Cheri Tarutani, MSW, Secretary

Dawn Slaten, Esq., Treasurer

Dawn was raised and schooled on the Island of Oahu and received her BA in mathematics from UH at Manoa and her J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law.  She has practiced law for over 20 years, concentrating in family law and worked in all five jurisdictions of the State.  Dawn is a the director of Ka Po‘e Hale, a community resource for Wai‘anae coast residents and provider of ho‘oponopono, family group conferencing and legal services to help families avoid CPS interference in their lives.  Dawn was also a founder of Effective Planning and Innovative Communications, Inc. (EPIC), where she facilitated, recorded and coordinated `Ohana Conferences (aka family group conferencing) and provided as a family-focused, strength-based gathering of family members and service providers to ensure the safety of children involved with the Child Protective Services (CPS).  Dawn trains facilitators, recorders, coordinators and attorneys, and has presented on family group conferencing at national conferences.  She has also managed corporate finances and provides legal representation when needed.  She also provides legal consultation and family conferences to the residents of Hope for a New Beginning Shelter, an emergency shelter, which began to service the homeless in Wai`anae in October 2006 at Kalealoa.  Dawn facilitates and records Restorative Justice Circles at Hawai‘i prisons.

 

Cy Adrian Kahaulunui Kalama
Cy is from a distinguished Native Hawaiian family and is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools. Cy is also a gifted substance abuse counselor.  He has worked for the Hawai'i state prison system for 21 years helping over 3000 men learn about desistance from substance abuse and crime. He helped develop a unique ritual based substance abuse program called Kash Box and is hopeful that the next executive administration for Hawai'i will understand its value and resume the complete program at Waiawa prison. Cy has traveled all over the world. He enjoys golf and outrigger canoe paddling. He is head coach of the New Hope Canoe Club. And he says: "Everyday I see life as a gift and an opportunity to make a difference for the better and I make the most of it." 

 

Ed Flores
Ed has a passion and expertise for helping people involved in domestic and intimate violence. He is a long time paralegal who has worked in a variety of areas on O'ahu. In 2005 Ed saw the need to help people obtain temporary restraining orders that the Honolulu Family Court was having a hard time keeping up with and he spearheaded the creation of the Ala Kuola Hawai'i Law Clinic. Since then Ed and Ala Kuola have helped thousands of people facing violent situations. He believes that restorative interventions could be used for many people who want to make amends, heal relationships, and extend forgiveness.

Hawai‘i Friends’ current list of contractors for Restorative Justice and other programs:

Lorenn Walker—volunteer grant writer & restorative justice coordinator
Lorenn is a public health educator and former trial lawyer working in violence prevention.  She designs and implements restorative justice programs and is an expert in group process for conflict prevention and reconciliation in response to wrongdoing and social injustice (www.lorennwalker.com).  She has an extensive history in education, social services and law.  She is a researcher who evaluates programs. Many of her articles have been published in trade and academic journals and several books, since 1999.  She has volunteered with the Hawai‘i Friends since 1994.  She worked as Montessori teacher in her teens and became director of a school at age 22; worked as a public welfare hearing officer during law school; clerked for a criminal trial court after graduating; was a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Hawai‘i for 10 years doing civil defense and prosecuted people for fraud; she was a Honolulu Family Court appointed counsel for juveniles and adults in child protection and criminal cases.  She is a trainer of solution-focused brief therapy.  She does consulting, teaches for the University of Hawai‘i, and usually takes one guardian ad litem family court appointments for civil commitment hearings annually.  She earned her Montessori teaching certification in 1971 from St. Nicholas Training Centre, London, England; bachelors degree in communication in 1980 from UH; juris doctorate degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 1983; and her masters in public health from the UH School of Public Health in 1996.

Diane Stowell, LFMT

Diane is a licensed family and marriage therapist.  In addition to seeing individual clients and families, she facilitates solution-focused and restorative justice interventions with adults and youth for the Hawai‘i Friends of Civic and Law Related Education.  She has been a senior mediator and trainer for the Mediation Center of the Pacific since 1986.  She was a psychologist for the Claremont Unified School District in California for 12 years.  She taught seminars for schoolteachers and administrators from 1984 through 1995 on working with at-risk youth in America and Europe.  Her post graduate work was conducted at the School of Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy at the California State University at Fullerton in California in 1978; she earned her masters degree from the University of Redlands in 1968; and her bachelors degree at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1956.

Kat Brady
Kat is a community advocate for justice who is actively engaged in bringing the community’s voice into venues where it has rarely been heard. She works to increase civic literacy, public participation, and to reform public policy. Her areas of focus include environmental, cultural, and social justice issues. Kat has served numerous public service groups in Hawai'i for many years and is widely respected as an advocate for disenfranchised people and communities.

Sophia Hoskins, LFMT

Sophia is a marriage and family therapist.  She earned her bachelors from University of Hawaii and her master degree from Chaminade University of Hawaii.  Sophia has a private practice in Honolulu and Kailua.

Trish Ellis
Trish is currently a facilitator for Epic ‘Ohana Conferencing where she facilitates family group conferences.  She is also the former Executive Director of the Hawaii Center for Attitudinal Healing, a non-profit agency offering educational and support programs for individuals and families facing highly stressful circumstances, including inmates and recently released adults on the Big Island, Oahu and Kauai.  For more than 20 years, Trish has helped to establish Attitudinal Healing centers and programs throughout the United States and internationally.   Since 1986, she has developed and implemented various "alternatives to violence," stress management and transition programs for use in federal and state correctional facilities, facilitated incest-survivor support groups in women's prisons, facilitated post-release re-entry programs for federal parolees; provided advocacy services to residents of women's shelter; and conducted domestic violence education classes for convicted offenders. She facilitated Attitudinal Healing programs at HCCC, Hale Nani and Kulani on the Big Island.

Marty Oliphant, M.S.W.

Marty received his masters degree in social work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2005.  He is currently a social work supervisor and former Child/Adult Protective Services Specialist for Child Welfare Services where he investigated allegations of child sex abuse.   Marty serves on the School of Social Work Dean's Board of Advisors, and is President of the Alumni and Friends of the School of Social Work.  Marty Oliphant is also the former director of the Hawaii Mentoring Initiative and conducted mentor trainings and provided technical assistance to agencies and programs enhancing and developing mentoring programs. Marty has worked with agencies including Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCA, Waikiki Community Center, and Goodwill Industries.

Sandra Cashman, We the People Coordinator
Sandra Cashman is the past president of the Hawai‘i Friends (2006).  She is a retired secondary school teacher.  She received her BA in Literature from Seton Hall University and her MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Sandra taught English and Social Studies throughout her career in Hawai‘i and as a Department of Defense teacher in Germany. In 1992 she became involved in the We the People, the Citizen and the Constitution programs sponsored by the Center for Civic Education.  She coached teams at Kahuku High and Intermediate School in this for 10 years, successfully involving community members including judges, local and military lawyers and law students wither pupils.  In both 2004 and 2005, the Kahuku teams placed in the top ten nationally of this rigorous competition.  Sandra is working to expand student participation in this nationally funded civic education initiative.

 

Mara Pike, MS

Mara is a 1998 graduate of New York University.  She is an educator and currently receiving training as a Restorative Circle facilitator for Hawai‘i Friends.

 

Nettie Lapilio

Nettie is from a ancient line of traditional Hawaiian healers.  As a child she was chosen by her family to carry on the haku tradition and was trained as a healer and has practiced this for many years.  She is a respected trainer and provider of ho‘oponopono and other Hawaiian healing cultural practices.  She is a skilled facilitator and recorder.

 

Nadine Dudoit, MSW

Nadine is a social worker and case manager for family Programs Hawaii, Leeward Voluntary Case Management.  She is a former employee of ‘Ohana Conferencing and trained in facilitation and recording skills.