From philanthropy and conservation to housing and feeding ʻohana, these nonprofit leaders showed resilience and innovation in 2025. In the New Year, weʻll be watching to see how they continue to impact local communities.
Here’s who’s on our radar:
Terry George, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation
Terry George was just about to retire in July after 22 years of service at the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation when Hawai’i Community Foundation announced that starting Aug. 1, he would become its new CEO and president succeeding Micah Kāne.
“When I saw the level of uncertainty among our social sector leaders in recent months, along with the strain on our social safety net and our courageous nonprofit organizations, I didn’t feel right retiring and just sitting around at home watching reruns of ‘Friends’,” he told Aloha State Daily at the time. “Then the HCF leadership opportunity happened, people started approaching me about it, and I decided to see if that was the best way of serving the Island communities that I love so much.”
So far in the role, George's team has activated HCF’s Hawaiʻi Resilience Fund in response to federal funding cuts to nonprofit organizations statewide He said in a statement, “Our goal is to collectively build a nonprofit sector that is prepared, not just reactive; collaborative, not siloed; sustainable, not fragile.”
Marisa Hayase, Weinberg Foundation
In late April, Marisa Castuera Hayase was tapped to lead The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation’s $150 million in annual grantmaking efforts that support nonprofits in the U.S. and Israel. As vice president of programs, she will ensure the foundation continues to improve housing stability, health, employment and educational opportunities, and aging.
“As a foundation, we’ve been really fortunate to have so many people to learn from and work with as we address these challenges together,” she told ASD in July.
Jennine Sullivan, The Pantry by Feeding Hawai’i Together
In February, Jennine Sullivan, executive director of The Pantry, was named among USA Today’s Women of the Year, which recognizes women making a difference in their communities across the country.
“I was incredibly surprised and grateful,” she said of the award. “What I do here is not because Iʻm some superhero. It’s because I have an amazing team of staff, volunteers, community partners, local farmers and distributors who enable us to do our work.”
As The Pantry looks to expand, she said, “It's not necessarily to serve more people, but it is to help better support and grow our food ecosystem here in Hawaiʻi.”
With the temporary suspension of SNAP benefits in November, The Pantry opened “a special Monday distribution for federally impacted households,” according to its website.
Doug Harper, Malama Maunalua
Coming from a career with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, Doug Harper joined conservation nonprofit Malama Maunalua in 2017. He oversees an annual budget of $3.5 million, leading a team of six full-time and 14 part time staff members, in addition to thousands of volunteers and contractors, all working to restore more than 20 acres of Maunalua Bay on O’ahu.
This month, the organization secured a $4.6 million grant to restore six acres of degraded forest, construct four green infrastructure projects that would capture more than 850,000 gallons of stormwater runoff per year, and transplant at least 3,000 heat-resilient corals across 10 acres of reef. Work will commence from early 2026 to mid-2028.
Nick Winfrey, Imua Onipāʻa
When Nick Winfrey joined Imua Onipāʻa as executive director earlier this year, he was most excited to help build upon something new. The organization offers a variety of services across sectors through workforce development cohorts, mentorship and upskilling to technical training with real-world skills. He is looking to grow its volunteers, mentors and partnerships to create a pipeline for more cohort members.
Molly Schmidt, American Red Cross the Pacific Islands Region
Molly Schmidt has more than 20 years of nonprofit experience. After moving to Hawaiʻi in 2019 with her family, she went on to become COO for Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi and the Regional COO of American Red Cross the Pacific Islands Region, which encompasses the state of Hawaiʻi, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and America Samoa. Schmidt was named interim CEO of the nonprofit in May and took the helm in August, overseeing 33 staff members and 2,000 volunteers in Hawaiʻi alone, she said.
“The greatest things about my life have been as a mother, a wife and serving as the American Red Cross CEO. To me, it is an honor to serve in this role. I don’t feel like it’s just a job; it’s a way to serve. And everyone here — every volunteer, every staff member — is surrounded by their family support that helps people give of their heart and talents.”
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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
