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Word on the Street, Rising Stars Edition: Brandy Shimabukuro celebrates Kawena Correa
September 20, 2026, The Association
In this special-edition Word on the Street series, animal welfare professionals sing the praises of the emerging leaders they nominated as 2026 Rising Stars
A stellar leader is someone who identifies, celebrates and cultivates the potential leadership qualities in others. We asked animal welfare leaders to do just that by nominating their organization’s emerging talent to our 2026 cohort of Rising Stars. This special-edition series is intended to spotlight the leadership qualities of both Rising Stars and the individuals—often managers and mentors—who nominated them. We’re thrilled to kick off the series with Brandy Shimabukuro’s nomination of Hawaiian Humane Society’s Kawena Correa.
Kawena Correa is exactly the kind of emerging leader this recognition was created for. What sets Kawena apart is not just her skill set, which spans media relations, graphic design, content creation and project management, but the intentionality and heart she brings to everything she does. She was one of the few non-Operations team members to be entrusted with a lead role at our Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili, a testament to the trust she has built across departments through consistent follow-through and genuine care. She also takes an active lead role in our cross-departmental VIP Task Force, a multi-campus effort to reduce length of stay for our long-stay residents, coordinating colleagues from Animal Care, Adoptions, Behavior and Communications around a shared goal with an ease and collaborative spirit that reflects real leadership potential.
As kānaka maoli and native speaker of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Kawena brings a dimension to this work that is deeply personal and profoundly important. During Native Hawaiian Language Month, she took the lead on a Hawaiian Word of the Week series that created meaningful opportunities for staff, volunteers and our audience to grow in cultural awareness and show up more thoughtfully for the people around them. Her fluency and cultural grounding are not just assets to our team; they reflect a commitment to our community and its people that enriches everything she touches.
– Brandy Shimabukuro, Manager of Communications, Hawaiian Humane Society
Kawena Correa
Communications Coordinator
Hawaiian Humane Society
More Emerging Leaders
Top photo: Unsplash
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