Ryan Catalani, Executive Committee Co-Chair

Born and raised in Kaneʻohe, Ryan has collaborated with marginalized communities across the Americas to galvanize solutions to some of the world's most pressing social justice issues, including immigration, displacement and homelessness. Ryan is an alum of Punahou School and Emerson College, and currently serves as Director of Advancement at Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network.

Previously, Ryan served as Director of Donor Relations at Family Promise® of Northern New Castle County (Wilmington, DE), a nonprofit dedicated to ending family homelessness, and co-founded Mobility Movilidad (Boston, MA), a nonprofit that brought together immigrant and displaced communities through art and storytelling projects. He also sits on the boards of Family Promise® of Hawaiʻi and Pacific Gateway Center.

Nadia Alvez, Executive Committee Co-Chair

Nadia Alvez was born in the island nation of Cape Verde and immigrated with her family to the U.S. when she was 12. She grew up watching her mother work hard and still struggle to support their family.

The 2016 primary election was a major wake up call for Nadia, and she realized how important it is to be engaged and take and active role in politics and shaping the future.

While living in Sweden with her husband, Nadia experienced first-hand the benefits of living in a country with a strong social safety net, and the sense of security that brings. Nadia volunteered with progressive organizations in Sweden to fight for issues like the six hour workday, improved gender equality, and promoting a culture of unionization for Sweden’s working people.

Since moving to Hawaiʻi, Nadia has become involved with the effort to get money out of politics and fixing the broken campaign finance system in the United States. As the organizing director of Wolf-PAC Hawaiʻi, Nadia works to build support for a state resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn the precedent set by the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court ruling. Nadia strongly believes that getting money out of politics is the key to making real progress on issues that regular people care about, such as climate change, healthcare, workers rights, education and more.

Will Caron, Secretary

Will was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu. He is a graduate of ʻIolani School and the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. After 8 years working as an editor and journalist primarily covering politics and policy, he took a position as the communications director for the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, where he puts his background in media and communications to use fighting for economic and social justice.

Will's involvement with YPDA goes back to 2016 when he became a founding board member of the organization as it formally transitioned from Students for Bernie Sanders to an organizing hub for young people to get involved in civics and government. In the past, he has served as both Environmental and Social Justice Action Committee Chair, as a YPDA co-secretary, and two terms as its non-female co-chair.

Will is a graduate of the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA)'s Kuleana Academy, as well as a former legislative intern for HAPA. He is also a former member of the Palolo Neighborhood Board. Most recently, he chaired Becky Gardner's State House Election Campaign in a highly competitive race for an open seat. Will believes in the power of a community organized around shared values to achieve a future in which economic opportunity, human rights and environmental justice are accessible to all.

Natalia Hussey-Burdick, TReasurer

Natalia graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa with a BA in biology. Her focus is on connecting scientists with lawmakers, and she works with a variety of environmental and social justice organizations to promote positive change in Hawaiʻi.

Born and raised on Windward Oʻahu, Natalia has been a strong advocate for environmental & social justice for over a decade. With years of experience working and testifying at the legislature, Natalia aims to help demystify the legislative process for newcomers.

Kencho Gurung, Social Justice Action Committee Chair

Kencho grew up predominantly in South and Southeast Asia and belongs to a tribe Indigenous to the Himalayas. During her childhood, Kencho’s father earned his masters and PhD at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. As a result, Kencho became connected to Hawaiʻi at young age. Kencho grew up with a strong feminist mother who started her own nonprofit for women farmers fighting to combat climate change after earning her own PhD.

Since childhood, Kencho has been a fierce advocate for equality. The struggles for racial justice, LGTBQ+ justice, climate justice, and animal justice are near to her heart. Kencho’s biracial identity and adolescence spent in three continents have taught her to value intersectionalism, and she nurtures a tireless ambition to dismantle white supremacy.

Since moving to Hawaiʻi Island full time in 2016, Kencho has become a food justice advocate, organizer, volunteer and educator (teaching nutrition and gardening to elementary students). She has organized various YPDA events in Kona, including sign wavings and letter writing events to oppose HB499, to encourage Georgia voters to elect Senators Ossoff and Warnock, in support of a free Palestine, justice for Daunte Wright, to Stop Asian Hate, and in support of Hawaiʻi for Biden/Harris.

Kencho is a Kuleana Academy graduate, and hopes to continue helping to strengthen the progressive movement in Hawaiʻi. Kencho is motivated to action every single day by her love for Black and Brown communities, and for Hawaiians and indigenous people across the world fighting against systems of colonialism and white supremacy.

Lesley Harvey, Economic Justice Action Committee Chair

Lesley is a dedicated community organizer and activist, focused on social justice through collective action. Lesley is an ardent supporter of economic literacy and holds a Master of Science degree in economics. While lecturing at Windward and Kapiʻolani Community Colleges, Lesley sought to make economics relatable and engaging.

Lesley is a long-time board director for the Hawaiʻi Economic Association, a Big Brothers Big Sisters' Big Sister of the Year, and regularly organizes efforts to bring attention, and change, to issues impacting the community.

(Vacant), Environmental Justice Action Committee Chair

Interested in joining the board as our Environmental Justice Action Committee chair? Email action@ypdahawaii.org for more information.

Micah Hicks, Board President

Micah was born on Guam and raised in Pupukea. He attended the University of Hawaiʻi Manoa where he earned degrees in MIS and Finance, as well as Oregon Tech where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently midway through a masters in engineering at the University of Central Florida (online).

Micah spent a year in Tonga as a volunteer economics and accounting teacher and has always made social causes a fulcrum point in his life, whether that be volunteering weekly at a homeless kitchen, serving as a youth leader, or weeding in the loʻi. Micah recently completed a year-long farmer’s education program and is in the process of starting a small farm.

Jun Shin, Outreach Committee Chair

Jun Shin was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu. He is a current American Studies and Ethnic Studies double major at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. A volunteer at heart, much of his time is dedicated to working with public interest groups and progressive advocacy organizations throughout Hawaiʻi.

Jun has been an active YPDA board member since the organization was created, especially in pushing its legislative priorities forward. He has had the opportunity to serve as Environmental Justice Action Committee Chair during both the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 board terms.

RANDY GONCE

Randy Gonce is the Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Cannabis Industry Association (HICIA), working to build a new industry that supports Hawaiʻi's local economy, de-stigmatizes plant medicine and reverses the harm done by the War on Drugs.

Randy has worked four legislative sessions at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol as a staffer and one year in the governorʻs office as the Assistant on Homelessness. In the nonprofit world, Randy sits on the board of directors of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaiʻi, Partners in Care (Hawaiʻi's Homelessness Continuum of Care), and Hakipuʻu Academy (a Hawaiian values-based public charter school).

Randy's educational background consists of an AA from the Community College of the Air Force in Electrical and Mechanical Systems, a BA from Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU) in Applied Linguistics, and a MA from HPU in Global Leadership in Sustainable Development. In his free time, Randy propagates Native Hawaiian plants and studies Laʻau Lapaʻau (Native Hawaiian Plant Medicine) under Kimo Adams from Kaneʻohe and Tuti Sandborn from Niʻihau.

Paxton parker

Paxton was born and raised in Texas and moved to Honolulu in 2017. He is concerned about our inadequate healthcare system, wage stagnation, the high cost of living—in particular housing—as well as the imperiled state of our democracy at the hands of partisan politics, propaganda and the influence of monied special interests over our elected officials.

Paxton has worked in the healthcare field most of his life, and currently works at an animal hospital.

Axel Beers

Axel was born and raised in Wailuku, Maui, where he grew up hopping ponds, riding bikes, and observing systemic inequality. He studied psychology, with the idea that he would one day give back through social work. After being a counselor in a grant-funded program serving low-income and first generation high school students, and working alongside some badass radical mentors, he developed a context for the experiences of his youth and strengthened his belief in the possibilities of a progressive society.

After taking an interest in critical pedagogy, Axel became a licensed social studies teacher. He has been completing the final semester of his Masters in Education at UH Manoa for too long—but only because opportunities keep getting in his way. Axel was the editor of MauiTime Weekly for two years before COVID sank the ship. He focused on stories which centered people, culture, and the environment, and tried to disrupt dominant industry-centered, plantation narratives, as he felt an independently owned, free, alternative publication should. In 2019, he received honorable mention and runner up at the annual Association of Alternative Newsmedia Awards for his political column and series of candidate interviews.

Axel now serves as the senior staff member for Maui County Councilmember Kelly King. He has a strong interest in local politics and policy that will advance the quality of life for all residents–especially those facing systemic oppression, like his neighbors back in Happy Valley. Axel has three kids who remind him daily of the importance of fighting and organizing for progress.