808.242.4900 | info@mauiaids.org
COMPASSION LED US HERE
ABOUT US
MISSION & PURPOSE
The mission of Maui AIDS Foundation is to promote the sexual health and well-being of the members of our community.
With over 480 diagnosed HIV positive people living on Maui, Maui AIDS Foundation (MAF) is the only comprehensive HIV/AIDS organization in Maui County providing assistance with services including linkage to medical care, access to HIV medications, financial housing assistance, food, and emotional and educational support to those in need. MAF also provides educational programs to inform the community about HIV/AIDS, its transmission, prevention and the impact on the residents of Maui County. We offer free HIV, Hep-C, Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia testing as well as Safe Sex Kits (SSK’s).
HISTORY
Maui AIDS Foundation was founded in 1986 as a community-based response to the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on Maui and incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 that same year. Like many other AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs), Maui AIDS Foundation emerged first as a grassroots, volunteer-based agency, where helping friends affected by AIDS was the principle work. Gradually, as funding, medications and treatment options became available, especially through the State of Hawaii and the federal Ryan White Care Act, staff was hired and programs were made formal.
In the late 1990s Maui AIDS Foundation ventured into housing for persons living with HIV, first by managing a home for people living with AIDS on the Kula Hospital grounds. This home was for clients who were homeless and needed intensive support from staff. Maui AIDS Foundation continues to link clients to housing through our Case Management Department.
Several grants specifically for prevention outreach came from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and from the State of Hawaii. These grants provided staff funding for outreach to at-risk populations on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. They also allowed MAF to form various support groups for HIV positive clients, for women at risk for HIV infection and for young gay and bisexual men of color. Safer sex kits (SSKs) became a trademark of Maui AIDS Foundation, consisting of condoms, lubrication and an HIV prevention message.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President, Steve Hire
Vice President, Linda Herberger
Treasurer, Walt Murphy
Secretary, Valentina Watson
Member-at-Large, Buu-An Nguyen, Pharm D.
OFFICE STAFF
Executive Director, Linda Puppolo
Finance Accountant, Kimberly Craig
Director of Housing, Carla Ebube, MSW, LCSW, CSAC
Donor Development and Communications, Cory Hall
CLIENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Director of Client Services, Jill Bauss
Medical Case Manager, Daniel Southmayd
Medical Case Manager, Mia Minkler
Health Insurance Enrollment Specialist, Gertrudes Holder
PrEP & STI CLINICAL DEPARTMENT
Director of Clinical Services, Bryan Chin, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
PREVENTION AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Director of Prevention and Programs and HEARTS Project Coordinator, Tiare Sua
Director of Prevention and Lab Service and Corrections Project Coordinator, Mana Shaw-Rodriguez
Outreach Worker/ STI Tester, Arnold Abe
Harm Reduction Specialist, Jordann Kauhi-Deguilmo
Harm Reduction Specialist and Hui O Anuenue Program Coordinator, Robert Clark
Harm Reduction Specialist, Krishna Taroc
MEET THE TEAM
Gertrudes T. Holder
HEALTH INSURANCE
ENROLLMENT COORDINATOR
Gertrudes is an amazing asset to the Foundation. With a degree in Economics and 17 years in the healthcare industry, she is glad to use her expertise to bring health insurance to those who need it most. She is passionate about achieving health equity by eliminating health disparities for underserved communities. She loves her English Springer spaniel, Bucky, and likes to dabble in cooking various cuisines like Indian, Indonesian, and Filipino food.
Gertrudes firmly believes in this Robert Wood Johnson Foundation quote:
“Health equity means increasing opportunities for everyone to live the healthiest life possible, no matter who we are, where we live, or how much money we make.”
Bryan Chin, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL SERVICES
Bryan has been our in-house Family Nurse Practitioner since 2017, after first starting at MAF as a Medical Case Manager in 2014. He currently directs our Clinical Services Department, which includes our PrEP Program and Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Program, with the aim of offering STI services at no cost to at-risk and underserved communities of Maui County.
Outside of serving our Maui community with his talent, Bryan's favorite fun things are bunnies and Madonna!
Mana Shaw-Rodriguez
DIRECTOR of
prevention and testing
Mana has been with the agency since 2017 providing STI testing, counseling and education to Maui County. She started working at MAF doing all social media while testing, and then started providing HIV & HCV testing and counseling to inmates at MCCC in 2019. Since then, She continues to offer testing at MAF and MCCC, as well as being the Director of Prevention and Lab. Mana is passionate about educating the public about sexual health education due to a general lack of a comprehensive sex-education.Thereʻs so many misconceptions with HIV and STIʻs, along with stigma that we must tackle. She hopes to empower the community to learn about STI's and get tested. Mana also provides Naloxone kits and trainings to the community. Mana loves to spend time with her family, get to the beach, and enjoy the outdoors.
Tiare has been working with the Maui AIDS Foundation as an HIV Prevention Specialist since 2007. Tiare was born and raised on the island of O'ahu where she started in HIV/AIDS research at Kulia Na Mamo located in Honolulu. Kulia Na Mamo, founded by Ashliana Hawelu, was a nonprofit organization promoting health and HIV prevention strategies for the transgender population. Tiare moved to Maui to continue her passion in helping people living with HIV/AIDS and to help stop the spread of HIV. Tiare's main suites MAF are to educate the community about HIV/AIDS. leadership, and to help spread awareness of Maui's transgender and LGBTQ you population. Tiare's keys to success are community engagement and spreading awareness. Along with her director position Tiare is the Editor and Chief of AFFIRM Magazine and the founder of H.E.A.R.T.S - Hawaii's Empowered Alliance Reaching Transgender Services.
Carla Ebube ,MSW, LCSW, CSAC
HOUSING DIRECTOR
Carla sublets an office space at MAF and has been the Housing Director at Neighbor Island Housing program for the last 3 years. Carla’s background is in the field of Social Work, where she has helped many individuals and families in the Maui Community. She is passionate about helping others and doing her part for the community.
After achieving her MSW, Masters of Social Work in 2017, she went on to complete 10,000 supervising hours and many other requirements to become an LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and CSAC, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. Her achievements and expertise lend such great value, resources, and hope to MAF clients and the community. We are lucky to have her!
In addition, Carla volunteers to supervise MAF’s Social Work Interns so they can also make a positive impact within the community. For fun, Carla likes to take long walks on the beach, hang out with friends and start new projects. Carla loves her job, she states “My heart is to help all those in need and make a difference in people’s lives. I love being a part of MAF’s extended ohana; MAF employees are devoted, dedicated and love what they do to help others”.
Tiare Anelaokalani Kima Sua
DIRECTOR OF
PREVENTION AND EDUCATION
PHOTO COMING SOON
Jill Bauss
DIRECTOR OF
CLIENT SERVICES
Jill began as our Intensive Care Coordinator with the Client Services Department since the fall of 2019. She is now our Client Services Director. She is an MSW who passionately supports all of her clients. She works closely with the Clinical Department and Prevention Department to assist patients with linking to services, referrals to community entities/agencies, enrolling onto health insurance, accessing SNAP benefits, medical providers and housing programs.
Daniel is a case manager working with our HIV+ clients. He’s been with the agency for 1 year as of today! He was born and raised north of Boston and moved to Maui in 2001. Daniel has written food and humor columns for the Maui No Ka Oi Magazine. He has had a career in catering and the restaurant business.
In his spare time, Daniel is devoted to great books, classic films, flop musicals, baking, fake tap-dancing, his two dogs and his partner of 33 years.
Mia Minkler
CASE MANAGER
Mia started with us in May 2021 interning with client services and in August she started a position working as a Case Manager. In her rare times that she’s not studying for her masters in social work program, she enjoys going to the beach, reading, hiking, freediving, and scuba diving. She plans on getting her License in Clinical Social Work (LCSW) after she graduate. Some fun things about her include she’s loves swimming with sharks and manta rays, she can free dive to 100 feet, and she was born and raised on Maui.
Daniel Southmayd
CASE MANAGER
PHOTO COMING SOON
PHOTO and Bio
COMING SOON
Arnold Abe
Outreach Worker
STI Tester
Krishna started as an intern at MAF since August 2021, working with the Client Services Department and we are now lucky to have her as part of our Prevention staff! She was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to Maui 10 years ago. When asked what she does out of MAF, Krishna said "I work as a Sales Associate for Tommy Bahama while pursuing my Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. I would love to be a therapist someday and work with immigrants." In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and watching Korean dramas! A fun fact about Krishna is that she loves collecting shoes and has a passion for makeup!
Robert Clark
harm reduction
specialist
Robert started as an intern with MAF in September 2021, working with Client Services, Prevention and Administration Department. We are happy to share he now joined the MAF Ohana staff as a Sexual Health Educator & Tester. Robert was born and raised in Southern California and has been on island for a little over 8 ½ years. When asked, Robert said “My experience here at MAF has been amazing! We have a fun and inviting environment. Everyone here is so hard working a dedicated to our clients. I look forward to a bright future with my MAF Ohana.”
In his free time, he enjoys playing video games and hanging out with friend and family as well as going to the Maui Ocean Center to relax and enjoy a nice cold cup of Dole Whip. Fun fact about Robert is that he has a passion for photography.
Krishna Taroc
harm reduction
specialist
.png)
Jordann Kauhi-Deguilmo
Harm reduction specialist
Jordann (she, her, 'o ia) is from Haiku, Hamakualoa, Maui and is born and raised on this island. She is proud to be one of the Harm Reduction Specialists within the Prevention & Education Department! Since joining the MAF ʻohana in February 2023, Jordann continues to be proud of the work she does for our communities. She love that this job allows her the chance to make a difference in someone's life. Establish amazing connections with coworkers, colleagues, and clients is a joy for her. One goal Jordann had in life was to serve the island of Maui, and she is able to do so because of this position. In their free time, they enjoy reading, listening to music, playing video games, and spending time with family. A fun fact about her - she loves learning different languages! Jordann was raised speaking Hawaiian, Pidgin, and Japanese, and a dream of hers is to learn Te Reo Māori in the future.
Cory Michelle Hall
DONOR DEVELOPMENT
AND COMMUNICATIONS
Cory joined MAF in August of 2019. She works in donor development, communications, grant writing, marketing, and community events. Cory has a background in marketing communications, non-profits, fundraising, information technology, leadership and art dealing. She has passions for piloting helicopters, travel, the arts and music. She is most passionate about is philanthropy, with a strong family upbringing of volunteering and serving her community. Cory is honored to serve the Maui community and grateful for such incredible support from donors for the MAF mission, among such a compassionate and supportive team.