Edward Haik, Independent Asset Management (IAM)

Ed Haik has over 30 years of experience in the investment industry. He worked for more than a quarter century at Bank of Hawaii's investment trust division. Prior experience includes positions at Garban Tokyo, Ltd., Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, and Merrill Lynch. He received his BA at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Ed joined Surfrider Spirit Sessions in 2009 as a volunteer mentor and in late 2014 became a member of the board of directors. He is happy for any and all opportunities to pass on the stoke of surfing. He is grateful for the many years of service to all our students, junior mentors, mentors and sponsors.

Alexander Peach, Colliers International

Mr. Peach is a commercial real estate advisor with Colliers International specializing in office leases and investment transaction. Alex advises both tenants and landlords on their commercial real estate needs and assists in making each transaction as easy and painless as possible for his clients.

Alex joined Surfrider Spirit Sessions in 2015 as a volunteer mentor became a member of the advisory board in 2016. Alex is an avid waterman and is pleased to be able to share his love of the ocean through the program.

Gregory Lui-Kwan, Attorney

Gregory L Lui-Kwan has served as a volunteer mentor and as a board member of Surfrider Spirit Sessions since 2015. He brings with him surfing experience that began in 1960. He has also been a mentor to law students and young lawyers since his graduation from the William S Richardson School of Law in 1982. He is a board member and past president of the Senior Counsel Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association. He also served two years as President of the Board of the William S. Richardson School of Law Alumni Association and was an active board member for 6 years.

Jianna Garino, Vice President & Commercial Banking Officer - Bank of Hawaii

Ms. Garino has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, and currently works at Bank of Hawaii. Prior experience includes positions at Central Pacific Bank, Bloomberg, and Kaiser Permanente.  Jianna is a graduate of Punahou School, holds a BA from The College of the Holy Cross, and an MBA in International Business from Seattle University.  

Jianna joined Surfrider Spirit Sessions as a board member in 2020.  She is an avid paddler and shares the love of the ocean with her fellow board members.  She paddled across the Molokai channel in 2018 Na Wahine O Ke Kai and looks forward to her next crossing of the Ka’iwi channel.   

Staff

Cynthia Y.H. Derosier,  Founder, Interim Executive Director

Ms. Derosier leverages her experience as a strategic planner, facilitator and communications consultant into helping Surfrider Spirit Sessions’ organizational development and continued success. Cynthia is the author of “The Surfer Spirit,” the book which inspired the Surfrider Spirit Sessions Program. She established and began implementing Spirit Sessions in 2007 and remains involved in Spirit Sessions programs and organizational and partnership development.

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Cynthia is a graduate of Iolani School. She attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she earned a BFA and pursued a Masters Degree in Child Art Therapy at Columbia University. She currently runs The Good Juju Co and works as a strategic planner, communications strategist, graphic facilitator and consultant for non-profits, state and government entities.

Cynthia has served an Executive Committee of The Surfrider Foundation, O‘ahu Chapter. She has paddled in outrigger canoes and in sail canoes including long distance travel from Oahu to Kauai. She also loves to standup paddle board, draw, hike with her dog and of course, surf.

Samson “Uncle Santa Sam” Rodrigues, Surf Program Manager

Sam Rodrigues has spent his lifetime supporting others and has over 40 years of experience in social services. In 2010 Sam retired from Hawaii State Family Services where he last served as a case manager for families in crisis. In addition to monitoring these families and their children, “Uncle” Sam taught effective parenting skills so children could be successfully reunited with their parents.

He has extensive training in all facets of child and family welfare including: identifying and treating sexual abuse and domestic violence, dealing with aggressive clients, human development and adolescence, effective parenting, substance abuse identification and treatment, gang awareness and prevention, and grief, trauma and suicide prevention. Sam is an avid waterman and has worked as a Waikiki Beach Boy on weekends for over 20 years.

He is Spirit Sessions’ original surf instructor and worked with founder, Cynthia Derosier, to develop the program from the very start. (In fact, Sam is one of the instructors who first taught Cynthia how to surf!). Uncle Sam has a natural warmth and charisma that draws people to him and commands love and respect from our youth. He has been featured in local commercials as a “Surfing Santa,” and appears in several surf films. True to his Hawaiian heritage, Sam loves outrigger canoe paddling as well as surfing. He has competed in the Molokai Channel over a dozen times and has raced all over the world including in Tahiti, Rarotonga, New Zealand, Australia and France. When he’s not working, you can often find him in a canoe or working at the beach stand in Waikiki.

Eric Overton, Session Leader

Upon first hearing about Surfrider Spirit Sessions, Eric immediately knew he wanted to be a part of this program. Eric joined as a volunteer mentor in 2019 and mentored for several years until he was asked to be a Session Leader in Spring of 2021.  

 Spirit Sessions combines three things that bring Eric a sense of happiness: the beach, the surf, and the stoke of someone catching their first wave.

Eric spent the last 25 years living, working, and traveling the islands of the Pacific, particularly Polynesia, the Northern Marianas and Micronesia.  He has seen first-hand the problems that the people of Oceania face, especially kids living on these islands.  The ocean has always been my refuge. In sharing that stoke with kids who need some refuge, Eric knows he’s done some good.

Trent Fish, Program Development & Youth Coordinator

Outgoing and skilled at operating in fast-paced environments with demanding objectives, Trent brings a cool head and vibrant energy to SSS programs and Surfari events.

As a personal coach and counselor with the Department of Education, Trent offers sound support for those needing to deftly adapt to change, seeking to enhance their lives through personal or professional development and facilitating productive and positive interpersonal interactions.

When he’s not at school coming up with new ways to motivate and inspire his students, you’re likely to find him hiking in a jungle with his dog or in foil surfing big waves on the North Shore.

Zaylia Hagi, Junior Mentor Leader

Zaylia joined the program as a mentee 2020, after which she continued to volunteer for the organization until being named the Junior Mentor leader in 2022.

Her favorite part of the program is seeing the positive changes in the youth that continue to build week to week. With the love and support from our surf ohana she enjoys continuing to make beach sessions a safe space for all to open up and build confidence and leadership skills.

Tina Hau, Organization Administrator

In 2016, Uncle Sam invited Tina into the Surfrider Spirit Sessions Ohana. She currently serves as the organization's Office Admin and backend support to the program. After leaving the islands for a short stint in 2020, she was glad to be able to come back to work with the organization.  She is instrumental behind the scenes ensuring our programs run seamlessly!  She is passionate about our mission and believes the work we do is bigger than all of us, we are all just along for the ride. 

Advisory Board

Kumu Ramsay Taum

Ramsay Remigius Mahealani Taum is the founder and president of the Hawaiʻi based Life Enhancement Institute (LEI) of the Pacific LLC. He is also Director of External Affairs and Community Partnerships at the School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he lectures on host cultural values in the workplace.

Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Ramsay is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools, attended the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Ramsay’s eclectic background and experience in business, government and community service makes him a valuable asset in both public and private sectors and has been instrumental in for-profit and non-profit business.

His work in promoting sustainable practices based on Hawaiian cultural stewardship principles and practices is acknowledged locally, nationally and internationally. In addition to being awarded the 2008 East West Centers Leadership Certificate Program’s Transformational Leadership in Sustainability, Ramsay is Hawaiʻi Home + Remodeling, HONOLULU & Hawaiʻi Business magazines’ “Who’s Keeping Hawaiʻi Green” 2008 Individual Educator Honoree.

A recognized cultural resource Ramsay is sought after as a keynote speaker, lecturer, trainer and facilitator. He is especially effective working with Hawai‘i’s travel, leisure and retail industry where he integrates Native Hawaiian cultural values and principles into contemporary business. Mentored and trained by respected kūpuna (elders), he is a practitioner and instructor of several Native Hawaiian practices including hoʻoponopono (stress release and mediation), lomi haha (body alignment) and Kaihewalu Lua (Hawaiian combat/battle art).

Kahu Wendell Silva, Hawaiian Culture Specialist

Kahu Silva brings a lifetime of experience and knowledge of Hawaiian culture and performance talent to the Good Juju Team. As president and CEO of Hawaii Cultural Services, LLP, Kahu Silva shares his mana‘o and talents in Hawaiian traditions including chant, ceremonial protocol and rituals as well as contemporary Hawaiian music performances and an extraordinary voice over talent.

Kahu Silva is a Master Chanter. His mentors include Hawaiiʻs chant and hula masters and cultural luminaries Uncle Henry Pa, Pele Suganuma, Edith Mckinzie and Uncle George Holokai. Kahu has performed regularly as a professional Master of Ceremonies, Presenter, Musician, Chanter and Voice Artist for over 50 years. He has won awards for his music compositions and has recorded 2 albums.

Honored by the City & County of Honolulu as a Living Cultural Treasure, Kahu continues to share his wisdom and mission to perpetuate Hawaiian culture. Kahu conducts cultural workshops and educational tours, and continues to perform traditional Hawaiian blessings and ceremonies.

Ali Chene, Marine Biologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Ali is a marine biologist and educator with the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center at NOAA. As a conservationist and avid water woman, she enjoys sharing her love of the ocean with others. She has been mentoring with SSS since 2015 and truly believes the program has the power to change lives. She joined the board in 2019. Her hobbies outside of surfing include diving, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Michela Mol, M.S.W.

Michela Mol is a licensed social worker in the state of Hawaii who has experience working with children, youth, families and adults. She attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received her Master’s Degree in Social Worker with a focus on child and family practice.

Ms. Mol was also a recipient of the prestigious Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Collaboration Scholarship and completed her practicum at the Department of Human Services Child Protective Services Branch. Ms. Mol has worked for the Department of Health in Early Intervention Services and at Epic ‘Ohana on a pilot program for youth who are involved in the juvenile system and multiple state agencies. She currently works at Department of Veterans Affairs  Tripler Hospital.

Originally from Brazil, Ms. Mol has been living in Hawaii for the past 9 years and can be found surfing when she is not working with her clients. She is a lover of the aloha spirit and is very grateful for having the opportunity to serve her community as a social worker.