Page 4 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - May 31, 2023

4 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK MAY 31, 2023
STORY BY
Tasha Mero
PHOTO BY
Lawrence Tabudlo
She says her favorite part of being a mother is simply spending quality time with her family and knowing that her children have grown into car- ing people who strive to better their communities.
As a result of being a moth- er, she notes that she’s grown bothpersonallyandprofes- sionally.
The Outstanding Mother Awards honors some of Hawai‘i’s most amazing ladies, celebrating their lives as businesswomen, community leaders and, most importantly, mothers.
“I have three children and two grandchildren,” Lau says. “Motherhoodmademeabetter corporate executive and person by teaching me how crucial it is to figure out how to inspire each individual — whether child or employee — to realize their best potential.”
“I remind myself daily that I have other special people in my life that are watching my actions and words, perhaps emulating what I say and do,” Ventula-Honda explains. “Therefore (I) try my best to be mindful of how I conduct myself and
what I say.”
She’s always there. She always puts others be- fore herself. She loves
ʻAlohilani Resort. The event’s beneficiary was the American Lung Association in Hawaiʻi.
appointments a lot of the times. So, a lot of times — particu- larly successful women — put their own health care aside to work at their companies, take care of their children, etc.”
incredibly successful, accom- plished women,” Haro says.
As one of the recipients of the Outstanding Mother Awards, Lau says she’s hon- ored to be recognized for her efforts as a businesswoman, community leader and, of course, mother.
unconditionally. Who is she? She is Mom.
Pedro Haro, executive direc- tor of American Lung Associa- tion–Hawaiʻi, hopes the event reminds everyone of the fact that in the islands, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women.
au began her career as a corporate attorney in San Francisco, and
Ventu- la-Honda is honored and humbled to be an award recipient.
L
then returned to Hawai‘i to join Hawaiian Electric Co. Lau retired in 2022 after 37 years with the Hawaiian Electric Industries
companies,
where she
held various
positions,
including
serving as
president and CEO of HEI, president and CEO of Ameri-
can Savings Bank, and board chair of ASB and HECO.
helps organizations elevate their fundraising revenues and raise money through various initiatives.
A stalwart within the com- munity, Lau has chaired the board at her alma mater, Punahou School, while also serving on the advisory coun- cils for University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Shidler School of Business and John A. Burns School of Medicine; Univer- sity of California Law School, San Francisco; and the invest- ment advisory committee for Kamehameha Schools.
Within the community, Ventula-Honda serves on the boards of directors for differ- ent organizations and commit- tees, such as University Labo- ratory School Foundation and Kidz For A Cause. She’s also served on event committees for Susan G. Komen, Ha- waiian Humane Society and March of Dimes. She’s also Mom to two children, and re- veals motherhood has taught her that there’s nothing quite like offering unconditional love.
“I grew up with the saying that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected,’ so I’ ve always been involved in the community,” Lau shares.
“No one said that mother- hood would be easy — and it really isn’t — however, it is so rewarding when you see them grow into individuals that are truly much better versions of yourself,” she says.
While all mothers are worth celebrating, in this issue we celebrate four: Connie Lau, Ellie Ventula-Honda, Mariv- ic Dar and Su Shin. They are career-driven and communi- ty-centered individuals, and yet even they will admit to being mothers above all else.
“We wanted to find a way to be able to make sure that we were targeting women — par- ticularly mothers — with our messaging because mothers tend to be the gatekeepers for families health,” Haro says. “They’re the ones making the
Lau, Ventula-Honda, Dar and Shin were selected by the Hawai‘i Mother’s Day Council not only for their accomplish- ments as mothers and their work in the community, but to also help spread the nonprofit’s messaging of the importance of health.
“It was always a struggle to balance career, family and being active in the community, and this award recognizes and Vcelebrates the extra effort, grit and resilience that it takes for women to succeed in all three.”
Ellie Ventula- Honda
This special group of wom- en was honored with the Outstanding Mother Awards at a ceremony on May 28 at
“They are definitely models for not just mothers, but for society in general. These are
Connie Lau
entula-Honda has more than 40 years of experience in fund
“Having
the opportunity to be rec- ognized for your business, community service and other awards is always a blessing,” Ventula-Honda says. “Howev-
development positions. She
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