The Team
Joseph Lapilio III
WEDC President
Joseph is the President and CEO of the Wai`anae Economic Development Council, an emerging Native American Community Development Financial Institution on Wai`anae Coast. The Wai`anae Economic Development Council also provides business development services to help local businesses with their start-up or expansion needs.
Joseph is also the executive director of Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa, an organization of Kalaupapa descendants who are working to preserve and share the history and legacy of the more than 8,000 people sent to Kalaupapa from 1869 through 1969.
Joseph is a community and organizational development consultant and has worked in the field for more than forty years. He received his BA in Community Planning and Development from Antioch University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Hawai`i at Manoa. He is the immediate past president of the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce and is currently a member of the Native Hawaiian Chambers of Commerce Hui working to improve conditions for Native Hawaiian businesses across the state.
Carol Pelekai
Project Manager
Carol is the owner of the Ultimate Aloha Services, LLC and lives in Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead. She enjoys helping people, being creative and organizing events. After retiring in 2016, she continued supporting WEDC with various projects such as Made On the Waianae Coast, Super Charge Biz, Business Symposiums and the Makeke Pop Ups.
Cindy Willey
Assistant Project Manager
Cindy moved to Waianae from Oregon in 2018 and has been volunteering with WEDC ever since. She is passionate about helping local people learn to create a financial legacy for their families no matter the situation. Her mission for the Waianae Coast is to bring hope to families through financial education and a unique business opportunity.
Craig Alvarado
Content Creator
Craig is a Waianae-based realtor and member of the Wai’anae Coast Rotary Club. He is passionate about community service and beach clean-up projects. He enjoys beach walks, travel and family time.
Momi Nelson
Director Assistant
Momi is the Administrative Director for Waiʻanae Economic Development Council. She has been working in the non-profit sector for over 25 years primarily on projects that support community, business and faith-based organizations and with mission statements that assist the underserved. She is multi-talented and uses her professional and leadership skills to elevate and lend strength to others.
Craig Wood
Photographer
Craig just turned 79 and has lived in Wai’anae since 1979 (must be something significant in that). He retired about 15 years ago with 42 years combined service with the Air Force and DoD. He’s spent a lot of that time exploring the Wai’anae Coast & taking photographs of its beauty and sharing them. He’s also involved with several community groups that work hard to improve the 96792 coast.
Lauren Thiemann
Marketing Manager
Lauren moved to Oahu after traveling SEA for a year. She discovered WEDC during the pandemic as a way to support local businesses during a tough time. She is passionate about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), especially as a tool to provide more visibility for organizations and people that work hard to make the world a better place.
Lennifer Wu
Technology Manager
Lennifer discovered WEDC while volunteering in Oahu for the Movers & Shakas program. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Computer Science and has a background in application development and technology consultation. She is dedicated to the successful implementation of the WEDC directory and is passionate about organization, animals, and eating good food.