A. Kam Napier has been editor in chief of Pacific Business News since April 2014. Prior to that, he was with Honolulu Magazine for 19 years, including 8 as editor. His articles on subjects ranging from architecture to zoology have won awards from the Hawaii Publishers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists-Hawaii Chapter.

For the past six years, Mohammad Abbasi has been honing his expertise in the area of health and wellness in the built environment. His background in architecture, sustainable design, and building science makes him an integral member of WSP’s Built Ecology group for which he specializes in design assistance, LEED and WELL coordination, energy and daylight modeling, and material consultancy. His goal is to help clients achieve exceptional performance and drive innovative ways of applying future technologies to enhance outcomes provided from a building’s architectural and engineering systems.

There are two kinds of people – there are people that take very simple things and make them sound very complicated to enrich themselves; and there are people who take very complicated things and make them sound simple to empower others. Charles Chaloeicheep, Senior Associate at WSP, strives to be the latter of the two kinds of people, using his strong engineering background and his collaborative nature to deliver high performance buildings that bring us closer to a future free of fossil fuels.

Dean Sakamoto is the founder and principal of Dean Sakamoto Architects and SHADE, a collaborative design practice and a public interest institute in Honolulu. He is the architect of the Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center at the National Tropical Botanical Garden Research Campus on Kaua‘i, a LEED Gold facility designed for hurricane resilience. As an educator, he served on the faculties of the UNLV School of Architecture, University of Hawaii Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and Yale University School of Architecture and School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. His scholarly work includes the award-winning book and the international traveling exhibition, Hawaiian Modern: The Architecture of Vladimir Ossipoff (Yale University Press in association with the Honolulu Museum of Art, 2007, 2015, 2017) and HURRIPLAN: Resilient Building Design for Coastal Communities for the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (2013).

Dotty Kelly-Paddock is an educator and community leader. She has an MA in Education from University of Kentucky, worked as a special education teacher, school principal and assistant professor at the University of Kentucky and at San Francisco State University. She served on faculty for 17 years at University of Hawaii at Manoa, Center on Disability Studies and spent 25 years working in the outer Pacific jurisdictions to create services for children with disabilities, working with families, school administrators and teachers. She's married and is the mom of a 16-year-old son. She's on the Ko`olauloa Neighborhood Board, President of the Hau`ula Community Association and Executive Director of Hui o Hau`ula, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Kelly-Paddock participated in the City's Oahu Resilience Planning process and authored Action 15 of the Oahu Resilience Plan: To develop a network of Community Resilience Hubs.

Ramona Mullahey, Senior Analyst, Field Policy & Management, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, facilitates the achievement of HUD’s Strategic Plan and Secretary priorities for the Honolulu Field Office, and partners across sectors to assist and support community initiatives.

Illya Azaroff, AIA is an associate professor at New York City of Technology (CUNY) and the founding  partner  of  +LAB  architect  PLLC, whose founding mission is to build resilient capacity and advance goals for a sustainable future through a collaborative network to uncover current issues relevant to architecture and the built environment, use of materials and the craft of building. He is a leader in disaster mitigation, resilient planning and design strategies.  Currently, he works with a broad spectrum of experts developing new resilient construction guidelines for HUD. Recently he completed work with ANCR and FEMA developing community resilience benchmarking as well on the Hazard Mitigation Plans for U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City. He regularly works with the city, state and federal agencies, professional societies, not-for-profits, community groups and foreign governments on building resilient capacity. Community resilience hubs and resilient cluster housing developments under his guidance are advancing with several communities. He serves the AIA as the state disaster coordinator and is 2021 president-elect for AIA New York State. He has worked in the field for over 25 years. 

Dean Craft is the President & COO of ISE Logik Industries, the manufacturer of MVRA 900 moisture vapor reduction admixture; and, since 2009, has presented more than 1,000 times on how to proactively address concrete moisture in the design phase.  Dean is the principal author and technical chair of ASTM F3191 – 16: “Standard Practice for Field Determination of Substrate Water Absorption (Porosity) for Substrates to Receive Resilient Flooring”, completed his doctoral work in 2017 with a dissertation entitled “Fallacy of Current Industry Approach to Assessing Concrete Moisture Before Flooring Installation”, and is a voting or participating member of ASTM Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing, ASTM Committee F06 on Resilient Floor Coverings, American Concrete Institute, and National Ready-Mix Concrete Association Research, Engineering & Standards Committee.

Dr. Craft is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel with 23 years of total service and is an expert in assessing organizational behavior and implementing organizational change through leadership and process improvement. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (BS), the Naval Postgraduate School (MS) and California Intercontinental University (DBA; Doctorate in Global Leadership).

Frank Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM, is the founder/partner of Go Strategies, LLC. He provides strategic and scenario planning, strategic market and pursuit capture planning, and the functional seller/doer training to clients throughout the U.S. Frank is all about helping teams work more effectively and more efficiently with current processes, schedules and tools that keep A/E/C firms’ business development strategy and marketing efforts on track. Frank has worked at small, medium, large and mega-sized engineering companies in his 30 years in the A/E/C industry. He helped SMPS Hawaii get established from its earliest days and has spoken regularly at many of their events since 2007. He also speaks routinely to ACEC Hawaii’s Emerging Leaders Program.

Paul Dye joined the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) as the Pacific Northwest Manager with over 38 years of combined roles in the reinforcing steel industry. He provides a working devotion and understanding to promoting, sustaining and enhancing the industry. With almost his entire career located in the Pacific Northwest he maintains an extensive working knowledge of operations, sales, estimating, detailing, and fabrication within the industry. The last 15 years Paul was Vice President and COO of Precision Rebar & Accessories, Inc. in Vancouver, WA. Previously he was Regional Manager for Graham Steel in Vancouver, WA, and worked as a project manager for Western Coating in Ogden, Utah. He started his reinforcing steel career with Graham Steel in Kirkland, WA, where he advanced his experiences and extensive working knowledge of the many aspects the industry provides. His working relationships with owners, design professionals, government agencies and contractors will enhance the promotion of reinforced concrete.

Scott Conwell is a licensed architect and Director of Industry Development for the International Masonry Institute (IMI) and works closely with union tile contractors all over the United States, including the Tile Contractors Association of Hawaii. In his 25 years with IMI, Scott has developed three areas of specialty: delivering meaningful education in which design theory and constructability converge; contributing to the development of tile standards and best practices through his work on the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook committee, the BAC Tile/Marble/Terrazzo Craft Committee, and the ANSIA 108 Accredited Standards Committee for Ceramic Tile; and leading IMI’s team on the Masonry Detailing Series, an online collection of masonry details and technical information which sets the industry standard for masonry and tile architectural details. Scott currently sits on the Education Providers Advisory Council of the Association of Licensed Architects, and serves as Vice President of the Chicago Chapter Construction Specifications Institute (CSI).  He is a Crown Scholar and graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture in Chicago. 

Stacy Bartoletti is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Degenkolb Engineers.  He is a registered structural engineer in the states of Washington, California, Oregon, and Utah. Stacy received his BS degree in civil engineering from Purdue University and his MS degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.  He is an active member of numerous professional organizations including the Structural Engineers Association of Washington and California (SEAW and SEAOC), the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE), the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), and the Washington Seismic Safety Committee (WSSC). Stacy is currently the Chair for CASE and a founding member and Steering Committee member of the Engineering Change Lab USA.  Stacy has a passion for leading people and growing an engineering business that is sustainable long into the future and supports the career development of its employees.

Jim Cika, Director, Government Relations PMG Resources for the International Code Council, has more than 20 years of experience in the manufacturing and construction industry. Most recently, he was the director of engineering and product management at HTP Comfort Solutions, a heating and hot water appliance manufacturing company. Cika was a member of the executive team responsible for HTP's product research, design, development and testing activities, and he served as the company’s chief technical expert for regulatory, product standards, building code and product engineering matters. Previously he served as manager for solar products for Heliodyne and Velux America (both members of the Velux Group), where he was responsible for developing and expanding their solar water heater businesses in North America. Cika also worked for Rheem Water Heating, and prior to that Rinnai America. His primary responsibility for both companies was the development and launching of their tankless water heater product lines in North America.

Kraig Stevenson is Senior Regional Manager, ICC Government Relations, Field Manager for AK, HI, ID, MT and WA.  He has worked for the International Code Council and its legacy model code group, the International Conference of Building Officials and in the building code administration, inspection and adoption field for over 30 years. Stevenson is a Certified Building Official and multi-certified inspector and plans examiner, having served in building department positions at local government jurisdictions. He has extensive knowledge of multiple states’ regulatory structure, statues, and administrative laws. Stevenson actively works with the legislative bodies in the states of his area of responsibility and participates in policy development to help local governments, state agencies and other associations with their legislative initiatives. Stevenson teaches technical code seminars and legal aspects of code administration specific to address regulatory environment of individual states. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Western Washington University, and is the recipient of the title “Distinguished Community Leader” from the Northwest Institute for Community Leadership.

Jim Cika, Director, Government Relations PMG Resources for the International Code Council, has more than 20 years of experience in the manufacturing and construction industry. Most recently, he was the director of engineering and product management at HTP Comfort Solutions, a heating and hot water appliance manufacturing company. Cika was a member of the executive team responsible for HTP's product research, design, development and testing activities, and he served as the company’s chief technical expert for regulatory, product standards, building code and product engineering matters. Previously he served as manager for solar products for Heliodyne and Velux America (both members of the Velux Group), where he was responsible for developing and expanding their solar water heater businesses in North America. Cika also worked for Rheem Water Heating, and prior to that Rinnai America. His primary responsibility for both companies was the development and launching of their tankless water heater product lines in North America.

Kraig Stevenson is Senior Regional Manager, ICC Government Relations, Field Manager for AK, HI, ID, MT and WA.  He has worked for the International Code Council and its legacy model code group, the International Conference of Building Officials and in the building code administration, inspection and adoption field for over 30 years. Stevenson is a Certified Building Official and multi-certified inspector and plans examiner, having served in building department positions at local government jurisdictions. He has extensive knowledge of multiple states’ regulatory structure, statues, and administrative laws. Stevenson actively works with the legislative bodies in the states of his area of responsibility and participates in policy development to help local governments, state agencies and other associations with their legislative initiatives. Stevenson teaches technical code seminars and legal aspects of code administration specific to address regulatory environment of individual states. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Western Washington University, and is the recipient of the title “Distinguished Community Leader” from the Northwest Institute for Community Leadership.

Don Pilz, Research & Development Product Manager with CEMCO, has over 32 years of experience in cold-formed steel framing and both fire and sound rated assemblies. As a project foreman, Don not only installed and supervised projects from the steel framing to finish drywall, he also worked alongside designers, architects and code officials to balance function and design while creating increased deflection fire-rated assemblies as well as increasing STC performances. In addition to conducting various construction industry seminars, Don frequently pens articles for several trade publications and has invented a variety of products that are currently being used across the U.S.

Alex MacKenzie, Architectural Project Manager at Marvin, began working in the fenestration industry in 2006 following his education in western architectural history.  His role with Marvin focuses on helping design professionals overcome technical and aesthetic challenges while also keeping within project budgets.  Alex has a passion for historic rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of buildings but also enjoys helping clients achieve their dreams in many new construction projects.

Dr. S. K. Ghosh heads the consulting practice, S. K. Ghosh Associates LLC, Palatine, Illinois, now a subsidiary of the International Code Council. Dr. Ghosh is active on many national technical committees, is an Honorary Member of ACI, and is a Fellow of ASCE, SEI, and PCI.  He is a member of ACI Committee 318, Standard Building Code and the ASCE 7 Standard Committee (Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures). Dr. Ghosh has influenced seismic design provisions in the United States for many years. In addition to authoring many publications in the area of structural design, Dr. Ghosh has investigated and reported on structural performance in most recent earthquakes. He is currently leading a World Bank project on building code enforcement in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Levi Sare, Director of Business Development/Architect Consultation for Euro-Wall Systems LLC, graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with an emphasis in marketing. Shortly after, he founded a marketing agency in Southwest Florida and was the primary owner and principal for 10 years. Levi began his relationship with Euro-Wall as an outside consultant helping to identify target markets and growth strategies. Levi joined Euro-Wall on a full-time basis in 2016 as the Director of Marketing. After developing an in-depth understanding of the Euro-Wall product, he transitioned to his current position. His primary focus is to provide technical data and advice for commercial and residential projects for industry professionals seeking to utilize Euro-Wall products in their projects.

Ed Sniffen is Deputy Director of the State of Hawaii’s Highways Division and oversees improvements and maintenance of approximately 2,500 lane miles of Hawai’i state highways and across the islands. He previously served as HDOT Highways Division Administrator and as a Technical Design Engineer in the Highways Division Design Branch. He has also served as Director for Kamehameha Schools’ Capital Program Management Division and Senior Program Manager for the Facilities and Construction Department of Sandwich Isles Communication. Mr. Sniffen received a BS in Civil Engineering from Santa Clara University.

Glenn Mason, FAIA, NCARB, has over 40 years of architecture experience, in both preservation of historic structures and in design of new structures. He has managed a wide range of projects, from small residential renovations to multi-million-dollar industrial complexes, and he has been responsible for all stages of work, from planning through construction phases. His expertise in historic architecture is widely acknowledged and he has received several awards for his projects in restoration and renovation as well as in design and planning. Mr. Mason has served as the principal-in-charge, the project architect, or the primary researcher for many of the projects in the firm’s resume. He was a principal in Spencer Mason Architects from 1984 through 1997 and founded Mason Architects in 1998.

Melanie is driven to work on projects that improve our communities, and she thrives on opportunities that guide smart choices in energy efficiency, healthy material selection and sustainable design. As an architect and sustainability director at MASON, she advocates for sustainable and energy-efficient reuse of existing building stock as a strategy to address near-term carbon reduction targets.

She is experienced in master planning and all stages of architectural project delivery and works on a range of projects from educational and governmental facilities to residential projects. Melanie shares her time by serving as board chair for USGBC Hawaii, board member for AIA Honolulu, and volunteer at YWCA Oahu.

A respected visionary and leader, Bettina Mehnert, FAIA, LEED AP is a force in the evolution and innovation in Hawaii’s architectural sector. Her philosophy blends a focus on sustainability, technology, firm culture, client cultivation, and community service as inseparable filaments of professional leadership, keeping her almost 75-year-old firm firmly faced towards the future.

In recognition of her management style and leadership, Mehnert has been honored with numerous awards and in 2016 was named a Fellow in the American Institute of Architecture (AIA), a prestigious honor held only by 53 architects in Hawaii since 1948. She was named CEO of the Year by Hawaii Business Magazine in 2019.

In 2018, Mehnert was appointed to the new five-member Honolulu Climate Change Commission. She uses her background in architecture and engineering and her expertise in the built environment to advocate for strong resiliency policies.

A licensed architect in her native Germany and in Hawaii and Guam, she is an active member of AIA Honolulu and International Chapters and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) where she serves on ULI’s National Council on Responsible Property Investment and Advisory Services Panel. She is a director of the Blue Planet Foundation, a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of Hawaii Energy and a member of Hawaii Green Growth’s Sustainability Business Forum. Mehnert also serves on the board of Public Broadcasting System (PBS) Hawaii and as a trustee of St. Andrew’s Schools. Most recently, she participated on a United Nations Global Compact panel of Hawaii’s thought leaders on “Regenerative Global Futures” during the UN’s annual general assembly.

Cathy has over 25 years of commercial real estate experience and is currently a Senior Vice President at Central Pacific Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Lending Division where she is responsible for the development and oversight of the bank’s real estate portfolio.

Prior to CPB, she was with Kamehameha Schools as Development Director where she was responsible for planning, development, and asset management activities in key strategic markets. Cathy also worked for Alexander & Baldwin where she had development oversight for many of A&B’s real estate projects and associated construction activities ensuring financial targets were met from acquisition through stabilization.

Cathy has degrees from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and Central Michigan University as well as undergraduate degrees in Economics, Mathematics and Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. 

She serves as President of the Hawaii Chapter of NAIOP and sits on the Real Property Board for Child & Family Service and is a Trustee for Palama Settlement. She has previously served on the boards for The Girl Scouts, Mediation Center of the Pacific and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies. 

The first female executive in the GCA’s 88-year history, Cheryl joined the GCA in 2019 and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of operations for the state’s largest construction association.

She previously held roles with Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP), which serves the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters and over 240 member contractors, for more than 12 years, serving as director of strategic partnerships for the last two years. During her tenure at PRP, Cheryl was responsible for identifying opportunities for new alliances and developing strategies to expand their member contractors’ market reach.

 A graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Cheryl is active in several construction industry and community organizations. She serves as a member of the Child & Family Service (CFS) Real Property Board and immediate past chair of the CFS Guild. Cheryl 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 is also a past president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services Hawaii.

Avalon is actively developing industrial, residential and commercial properties in Hawaii. Notable projects include Kapolei Business Park, Hale Ka Lae, Hale Manu, Shops at West Loch Station, Plaza at Mill Town, and Sugar Mill Industrial Park.

Christine has earned many accolades for her leadership — NAIOP and GCA each awarded her with developer of the year awards, SBA named her Industry Advocate of the Year, and PBN recognized her as a 40-under-40 Community Leader of the year.  She served as the chairwoman of several boards: Chamber of Commerce, Honolulu Police Commission, Urban Land Institute-Hawaii, and President of Hawaii Developers’ Council.  She also served on the boards of HCDA and the Blue Planet Foundation. 

Currently, Christine serves on the boards of Federal Home Loan Bank, Central Pacific Bank, YMCA and Kahala Nui.  Her current focus is finding opportunities to educate the public about the land use policies that greatly add to the true cost of living in Hawaii, and to encourage policies that increase the supply of housing.

Mary joined Schuler Homes LLC (now D.R. Horton) in 1993 and served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing until 2020, when she was named Senior Vice President of Business Affairs. She also has served as the company’s principal broker since 1997. She has participated in the sale of over $3 billion dollars’ worth of real estate and over 10,000 homes, approximately 3,000 of which were affordable.

Mary was president of the Honolulu Board of Realtors in 2006 and was named Realtor of the Year by HBR in 2010. She also served as president of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii in 2008. Among her community service interests, Mary has been active with Boots on the Beach, American Cancer Society, Special Olympics and Hawaii Home Ownership Center.