Leadership

Della began her career in higher education in 1999 at Leeward Community College where she held positions ranging from professor of accounting to director of planning, policy, and assessment, and eventually vice chancellor for academic affairs. In 2020, she moved to the University of Hawaiʻi Community College System Office as interim director of academic programs. Prior to joining UH, she worked in the private industry for seven years as an accountant and operations manager. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management information systems from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Kahele started her career in education as an elementary and middle school teacher at nā Kula Kaiapuni o Pāʻia, Waiau, and Ānuenue and spent the last 20 years teaching Hawaiian Studies and language at the University of Hawai’i Maui College (UHMC). She was most recently the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. Kahele is the Chairperson of the ʻAha Kauleo, the Statewide Council of Kula Kaiapuni (Hawaiian language schools) and the Maui representative on the State of Hawai‘i Board of Education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies and a Master’s degree in Education the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Denise Yoshimori-Yamamoto is the associate vice president for administrative affairs for the University of Hawaiʻi Community College System. She is responsible for all business operations and administrative affairs, as well as legal and legislative affairs.

Denise has been with the Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges for 14 years serving as the Director of Facilities Planning and Construction for 10 years and a registered architect prior to that. In her role as director, she supervised the facilities and planning team, managed all CIP planning, design and construction and repair and maintenance projects, coordinated projects and long-range planning with the seven community colleges, managed the funding and expenditures for the projects, and worked with the legislature on new and ongoing funding proposals for projects. Before her time with the UH Community Colleges, Denise was the principal and senior associate for GYA Architects. Denise earned her bachelors and doctorate of architecture from UH Mānoa.