ABOUT THE PROGRAM

In honor of International Women’s Day, this all-woman panel will discuss topics related to navigating through adversity in a male-dominated industry: career path, leadership experiences, obstacles and advancements, and advice for industry professionals to feel empowered and reach for higher roles in their respective firms.

PANELISTS:

Karen Sakamoto AIA, IIDA

Principal | Next Design

Karen is a Principal, Architect, and Interior Designer at Next Design LLC, a full service architecture, interior architecture and planning firm. Next Design was founded in 1999 and is recognized as a woman and minority-owned firm. Karen co-manages a firm of 17 staff on commercial developments including restaurants, retail, corporate offices and hospitality venues. Throughout the years, Next Design has received design awards for their projects from various organizations including Grand awards from the Building Industry Association (BIA), The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) of Hawaii, LEED Certifications and the Historic Hawaii Foundation.

Karen was previously president of KMS Design where she was an owner from 1995 to 2001. She is a graduate of San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. Her professional affiliations include serving as an active member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and recently served as president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honolulu Chapter.

Shannon Holman, P.E.

President and Co-Founder | Orion Engineers & Associates

A California native, Shannon earned her Undergraduate Civil Engineering degree at the University of California, Davis and received her Master’s degree from California State University, Sacramento. Six years ago, she left the corporate world of engineering to start a new venture as an Owner at Orion Engineers & Associates, which specializes in aviation, water/wastewater, and general civil infrastructure projects. Shannon brings over 20 years of civil engineering experience, ranging from sewer collection and conveyance systems, water distribution systems, general civil engineering, to the most noteworthy airfield runways and taxiways.

As a co-founder of Orion Engineers, Shannon provides the overall leadership, strategic direction, financial planning, staff development and management for Orion to ensure the success of the firm’s operations. Shannon also enjoys giving back to the engineering community through involvement in professional organizations including the American Council of Engineering Companies Hawaii, Hawaii Water Environment Association, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and Women in Transportation Services.

Dale Sakamoto Yoneda

President | S & M Sakamoto, Inc.

Dale is the President of S&M Sakamoto, Inc., a third-generation General Contractor in the State of Hawaii. The company was founded in 1940 by her Grand Uncles, Katsuki & Minoru Sakamoto, and their work focused mainly on homebuilding. Today, S&M is one of Hawaii’s leading diversified construction firms and has expanded into the commercial market performing various types of construction throughout the entire state of Hawaii. 

Dale holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She serves on various industry and trade organizations, including her current role as the 2022 General Contractors Association of Hawaii Chapter President. Dale was also named a 2022 Pacific Business News Women Who Mean Business (WWMB) Honoree!

Lori M.K. Kahikina, P.E.

Executive Director and CEO | Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART)

Lori is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART). Lori is a proud graduate of Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and has a license in Civil Engineering.

At HART, Lori is responsible for the design and construction of the remaining portion of the 20-mile, 21 station Honolulu Rail Transit Project that spans from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center. The project is currently estimated at about $11 billion.

Before joining HART, Ms. Kahikina was the Director of Environmental Services with the City and County of Honolulu where she was responsible for administering the design and construction of the City’s wastewater and solid waste programs, including the completion of a federally mandated consent decree wastewater program of over $5 billion.

MODERATOR: 

Cheryl Walthall

Executive Director | General Contractors Association of Hawaii

Cheryl is the Executive Director of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii (GCA), the state’s largest construction association. The first female executive in the GCA’s 90-year history, Cheryl joined the GCA in 2019 and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization’s operations.

Cheryl previously held roles with Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP), which represents the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters and over 240 contractors, for more than 12 years, serving as director of strategic partnerships for the last two years.

A graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Cheryl is active in several construction industry and community organizations. She is one of the founding members of Hawaii Construction Career Days, serving on the board of directors and as co-chair of the sponsorships committee. Cheryl serves as a member of the Child & Family Service (CFS) Real Property Board and is a past chair of the CFS Guild. Cheryl was an active member of SMPS Hawaii from 2009 to 2019, and served as chapter president for the 2011 – 2012 year.

Please email us at [email protected] with any questions! We look forward to seeing you there!

https://smpshawaii.org