Nov 21, 2012 | Community
Kristin Holmes, owner of Swan Interiors
Teamwork, fairness and the motivation to serve its clients are all factors in the success of Swan Interiors, which has been in business for more than nearly 30 years, according to owner Kristin Holmes. “The driving force of our success is to have clients appreciate a beautiful environment and how one feels in a space that elevates individuals,” Holmes said. “Turn key projects require an immense amount of time and management that goes well beyond what clients can see or imagine. Above all, it is dedication to client satisfaction that prevails.”
Holmes opened her small business in 1985 and after serving private clients for 25 years, she expanded by opening a furnishings store in Wailuku in 2010. The business employs one full-time designer, two store designers and a bookkeeper. “We work as a team and everyone knows that they are part of this extended circle,” Holmes said. “We are the first stone thrown in the pond and as the outward ripples keep going, the circle gets bigger and all our skills are needed to get the job done for the client in a professional and efficient manner.” Holmes also said that fairness plays a key part in her business’ success, particularly when it comes to its product pricing structure and the way people in and outside of the firm are treated. “I honor and appreciate every effort that is made by those that help our business to thrive.”
In keeping up with addressing Swan Interiors’ clients needs, Holmes and her staff have participated in several social media classes and workshops sponsored by Maui Economic Development Board. Staffers are constantly looking for ways to bring technology into their daily tasks while also using the networking opportunities to maximize the business’s exposure. Holmes herself participates and supports the Maui Smart Grid Project in her home and design studio. The program is designed to demonstrate and evaluate new technologies that will help residents better manage and reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand. It also assists Maui Electric Co. operate its electricity grid more efficiently.
Nov 14, 2012 | Environment, Sustainability
Members of the Focus Maui Nui Youth Alliance visited Monsanto Co.’s Maui operations recently, getting a close-up look at the company’s high-tech operations to grow seed corn to make a dent in world hunger. Both Racieli Andrada, 16, a junior at Maui High School, and Kaile Stockham, 15, a sophomore at Lahainaluna High School, had heard the negative publicity about Monsanto, such as its work with genetically engineered food. While Andrada came away from the experience impressed, Stockham remained skeptical, but said she was open-minded.
“I learned that Monsanto uses a lot of advanced technology to help keep track of the seeds and to help them grow to their full potential,” Andrada said. She said Monsanto changes the genes within corn seeds “to allow the crop to grow to its full potential without being harmed or disturbed by the environment,” such as pests. Stockham said she “really enjoyed going in the greenhouse, where we got to watch things in action.” “I was baffled by the fact that they are able to electronically track every seed that ever enters their state-of-the-art facilities,” she said. Stockham also said she was intrigued to learn that Monsanto’s technicians shave off a piece of each seed to send to a lab on the Mainland “where they run it through a DNA machine that determines whether or not the seed has the qualities they are looking for.”
Youth Alliance members attend monthly events during the school year to explore and gain a greater understanding of key components in the Maui community. Their gatherings are coordinated by the Maui Economic Development Board, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2012. Stockham said she believes that all citizens have a “duty to be well-informed” on all current topics and the tour at Monsanto was an experience toward fulfilling her duty. “I believe the only way for us to make the best decisions for Maui’s future is if everyone on Maui is actively informed and participating in local decisions.”
Nov 7, 2012 | Education
Chelsea Fernandez, veteran and owner of the Maui-based assistive technology company, FernanTECH.
The “Women of Power Stand Down” event is being held for women who have served in the U.S. military. “Stand Down” is a military term to describe a safe position off of the combat zone where weary soldiers can retreat to rest, re-boot and re-energize. Likewise, Women of Power Maui Stand Down will ignite positive change for women service members through the stories and lessons learned of other women.
The event is free for all women veterans living on Maui, Moloka‘i or Lana‘i. Special travel scholarships are available for women veterans who live on Moloka‘i or Lana‘i. The cost to non-military is $25. It’s the first time a Women of Power Stand Down event has been held in Maui County and the half day event kicks off a weekend of activities to celebrate Veterans Day. Focus is on sharing key strategies to help women vets find rewarding jobs or to get promoted. A special interactive session on networking skills will be followed by a Tech Talk Story panel and the opportunity to meet others with similar experiences and interests.
Event partners are theStrategist, a leader in healthcare design and innovation, Women in Technology, a project of MEDB, FernanTECH, a veteran-owned, Maui-based assistive technology company, and the Maui Business & Professional Women’s organization. Feedback from women veterans who attended the Women of Power Stand Down in Honolulu in July 2012 described the event as very informative, motivating and inspirational for women vets. One participant commented, “I was totally enamored by all the guest speakers and their trials and tribulations to be successful in their chosen vocations. They inspire me to keep striving for my goals and never give up.”
What: “Women of Power Stand Down” event
When: Friday November 9th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: MEDB’s Malcolm Training Center, 1305 N. Holopono Street
in the Research & Tech Park, Kihei
Cost: Free to all female veterans, with travel scholarships for Molokai and Lanai
RSVP: womenofpowermaui2012.eventbrite.com or call 808.875.2341
Oct 31, 2012 | Community
On November 6, General Election day, Stacey Moniz will show up at a Maui polling place, just as she has been for the last two decades. Not to vote, but to serve as a volunteer precinct official. “For me it’s the one civic thing I can do besides voting,” she said. As executive director for Women Helping Women, Moniz avoids all conflicts of interest by declining to endorse or campaign for candidates. What she does encourage is voting and volunteering at precincts in need of help with those who come to cast ballots. “Voting is a very, very serious thing and volunteering at a polling place can be enjoyable,” Moniz said.
A volunteer since 1990, Moniz has helped at polling places in Kihei, Paia and Wailuku. “I’m a volunteer at heart,” she said. Training for precinct officials is provided. Moniz said she’s particularly impressed with the state and county officials’ progress over the years in eliminating as many barriers as possible for voters to cast ballots. For example, precinct officials can provide pen holders and magnifying glasses for voters who need the assistance. If a person is physically unable to get out of a car at a polling place, precinct officials can bring the poll book and ballot to the person. “My goal is to help the voters go through the process as easily as possible,” Moniz said.
Qualifications for a precinct official include:
- Be 16 years of age on or before June 30, 2012
- Be able to read and write English
- Be able to lift 25 to 35 pounds; and
- Be able to attend a training session.
A precinct official’s day starts at 5:30 a.m. and ends between 7 and 7:30 p.m. A stipend of $85 for the day is provided to all precinct officials. For more information, call the Maui County Clerk’s Office at 270-7749 or visit: hawaii.gov/elections/volunteers.
Oct 24, 2012 | Community
Madelyne Pascua founded Dance International Production with the intention of perpetuating the Filipino culture on Maui. She continues to do that today, sixteen years after forming her dance troupe. The group’s repertoire also includes Hawaiian and Tahitian dances. Pascua earned a choreographer and director certificate from the Kalihi Palama Arts & Culture Academy on Oahu. She said her passion for dance dates back to the age of nine when she first arrived in Hawaii, learning Tahitian, hula and eventually Filipino folk dance.
She said she prefers an all-female dance troupe, but you need not be Filipino to be a part of Dance International Production. “I always tell my dancers, dance with your heart,” she said. Today, the group has 35 members ages 5 to 22. They perform once a month at the Maui Mall and two to three times a month at Whalers Village Shopping Center. In addition to private parties, Dance International Production has provided free performances at community venues including the Barrio Fiesta, Miss Maui Filipina Pageant, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraiser and the Maui Fil-Am Heritage Festival. Dancers in 2006 traveled to the Philippines to perform in five different towns, and earlier this year they shared Filipino dances at a Barrio Fiesta held at the St. Martin University campus in Washington state.
To be a part of Dance International Production, performers are exposed to dances from several cultures. “This enables the individual to learn and respect different cultures,” Pascua said. In addition, Pascua encourages her dancers to attend college and has awarded $7,000 in scholarships during the last four years to nine of her dancers. Pascua said she hopes to have continuous income from performances so that more college scholarships can be provided. Dance International Production is also aiming to have a studio with a library so that both members and non-members can learn more about world cultures.
