Steve Petranik
Editor and Interim Publisher
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Steve Petranik has been an editor and reporter for almost four decades and now is the editor of Hawaii Business. Before joining the magazine in 2009, he spent 18 years as an editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and five years at the Honolulu Advertiser. He’s reported from six countries on three continents and his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.

Cynthia Wessendorf
Managing Editor
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Cynthia Wessendorf oversees Hawaii Business Magazine‘s annual lists, preps newsletters and writes feature stories, among other duties. Prior to joining the magazine in 2020, she spent decades working as a copywriter, editor and designer for both national and local publishers and nonprofits.

Noelle Fujii-Oride
Writer & Engagement Editor
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Noelle Fujii-Oride writes about affordable housing, working families, education and more. She also leads the editorial department’s audience engagement efforts. Prior to joining Hawaii Business Magazine as a staff writer in 2017, she held internships at the magazine, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Honolulu Civil Beat. She now lives on Kaua‘i.

Chavonnie Ramos
Writer
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Chavonnie Ramos enjoys writing stories about the community, education and entrepreneurship. She has Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and English from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Prior to joining the magazine, Chavonnie was a digital content producer at KITV4 and intern at Hawaii News Now. 

Kelsey Ige
Creative Director
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Kelsey Ige is from Wahiawā and Mililani. She oversees all design and visual branding for the magazine, and her work has been recognized by local and national awards. Prior to joining the magazine, she led design and art direction for the Waikīkī Aquarium, Bank of Hawaii and HONOLULU Magazine. In 2019, she was named a Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance Fellow. 

Mallory Adams-Nakamura
Art Director
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Mallory Adams-Nakamura is a Mililani resident and received her degree in Graphic Design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. After moving back to Hawai‘i in 2018, she began working in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Creative Department. In 2020, she was promoted to Creative Supervisor at MidWeek. Mallory is excited to be a part of the Hawaii Business ‘ohana by maintaining the magazine’s design standards and working collaboratively with the team. 

Aaron Yoshino
Staff Photographer

Aaron has been one of Pacific Basin Communications’ staff photographers since 2016 and a photojournalist since 2003. He was born in Honolulu and currently resides in Nuʻuanu. He enjoys using his photography as a medium to storytelling. 

Joelle Cabasa
Digital Marketing Director 
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Joelle Cabasa is from Hilo and oversees direction of the website, event marketing and social media presence. She also supports digital sales initiatives and virtual events. Joelle drives the magazine towards digital innovation as the landscape of publishing continues to evolve. She previously served on the nonprofit board for the charter school Hawaii Technology Academy.

Michelle Tan
Digital Media Specialist 
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Michelle Tan was born and raised in Honolulu and recently graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Shidler College of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, Management, and International Business. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and hiking. 

Kent Coules
Associate Publisher
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Kent Coules joined Hawaii Business Magazine in August 2021, bringing 30-plus years of experience in print and digital media, as well as events. He worked for major newspapers in California, Minnesota and New Jersey, where he started a 16-year event production career. A Hawai‘i resident since 2013, Kent is excited to be part of the Hawaii Business ‘ohana. 

Mea Aloha Spady
Account Executive
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Mea Spady is from Hale‘iwa and works with Hawaiʻi businesses in partnerships toward a sustainable and thriving community. Mea has an extensive background in philanthropic and non-profit work in Hawaiʻi. Her lifelong volunteer work continues to this day.

Pam Saito
Account Executive
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Pam Saito is originally from Kāne‘ohe and now resides in ‘Aiea. She joined Hawaii Business Magazine in March 2023 and brings with her 9 years of print and digital media sales experience as well as retail and product sales experience. She enjoys working with customers and loves helping grow their businesses with the help of the products and services we provide.

Rebecca Brooking
Senior Account Coordinator
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Rebecca Brooking joined Hawaii Business Magazine in January 2023 and supports the sales team and coordinates advertising accounts. She has an extensive media sales background in newspaper advertising and real estate transaction coordination. She is thrilled to be joining the Hawaii Business ‘ohana. 

Liesel Steinhauer
Business Development Representative
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Liesel joined Hawaii Business Magazine in January 2023 and is responsible for developing new client relationships and generating revenue for the magazine. A graduate of New York College, she moved to O‘ahu to study at UH Mānoa and began her career in Honolulu. She’s new to the media world but is excited to be part of the team and help create new growth for the company.  

Magdalena Hershey
Events Manager
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Magdalena Hershey was born in Poland and spent the last 7 years living in New Jersey and New York. She graduated from one of the oldest European universities in Krakow (Poland) with a BA in political science. Prior to joining the magazine, she worked as the Events Manager at the Consulate General of Poland in New York.