Hawai'i Community Lending Names New CEO, Executive Leadership Team

Hawai'i Community Lending, the Native Community Development Financial Institution and nonprofit mortgage lender that has disbursed more than $203 million in grants and loans since its 2002 founding, named Jeff Gilbreath as its chief executive officer and assembled a new four-person executive leadership team that blends internal promotions with outside hires.

Gilbreath, who spent 12 years shaping the organization as its executive director, moves into the CEO role alongside Chanel Josiah as chief operating officer, David Doyon as chief financial officer, and Joyce Nobriga as deputy chief financial officer.

Josiah rose from within HCL, where she previously served as community development director, and before that as program manager for Hawaiian Community Assets. Doyon arrives from ROC USA, LLC, where he helped build that CDFI's loan fund to $400 million and accumulated more than 30 years of financial management experience. Nobriga, former chief financial officer at Waialae Country Club, brings 25 years of finance experience across diverse sectors.

Alongside the executive team announcement, HCL also named Aikū'ē Kalima as its new lending director. Kalima comes to the organization from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, where he served as Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Manager, and carries more than 25 years of experience in community development and mortgage lending. He will direct HCL's consumer, construction, mortgage and small business lending, take over management of HCL's $16-million revolving loan fund, and oversee a statewide team of seven staff members.

"HCL is honored to have Aikū'ē join us in our mission to help tackle our housing crisis by funding native Hawaiian and local families to build, buy and save homes from foreclosure," Gilbreath said. "He has proven leadership in both the public and private sectors and has the passion to get families on the land through homeownership."

HCL's mission centers on increasing access to credit and capital for the economic self-sufficiency of Hawai'i residents, with a particular focus on Native Hawaiians. The organization's impact figures reflect that reach: 6,559 grants and loans originated and 6,547 'ohana placed in homes since the lender opened its doors in 2002.

The leadership restructuring positions HCL to press harder on statewide housing access, drawing on what the organization describes as a depth of experience that extends beyond financial expertise into cultural strength, a combination it says is essential to delivering real solutions to Hawai'i's housing crisis.