Board of directors
SERINA KOESTER / President
Serina Koester is a multi-disciplinary artist and mover spanning various genres including Samba, Capoeira Angola, Afro-Brazilian, Hip Hop, and Filipino Folkloric dance, and is currently an active member of Ka Pā Hula o La’akea Halau Hula.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Serina has fronted musical groups as a vocalist and percussionist across various collaborative projects. She is the Co-Founder of a non-profit experimental art and music organization, Dissonant Works, which not only fosters creative exploration and collaboration, but also provides a venue where ideas can be exchanged and ultimately preserved in her hometown of St. Louis.
As a painter and graphic designer, Serina’s work has appeared in gallery shows across the United States, in the Oakland-based magazine, Kitchen Sink, and in the muralist collection Painting the Streets: Oakland Uprising in the Time of Rebellion.
Serina now serves as the interim Board President for Dancers Unlimited where she melds over twenty years of professional experience in Marketing, Design, and Creative Operations with her own artistry towards her lifetime commitment to supporting the visual and performing arts.
CHRIS WON / Secretary
Chris Won (원용하) is an educator, advocate, and designer with over fifteen years of experience in community development, creative learning, andorganizational management. Chris has led heritage programming and branding at the Columbia University School of Social Work and Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition.
He has presented on inclusive leadership and teaching with the Sealaska Heritage Institute and Clark University and presented keynotes for the New Jersey Career Center Consortium and the Alaska Association of School Boards. Chris also administered grants and service assessments with the Center for Black WellBEing LLC., EngageNJ, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and most recently with the U.S. Department of Education AANAPISI (Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Serving Institutes) grant at CUNY Brooklyn College. Currently, Chris is an Advisory Council Member of Asian American Dream 501(c)(3) and serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Dancers Unlimited Hawai’i-NYC 501(c)(3).
Born in Seoul and raised in Boston, Chris is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and has his master’s from the University of Alaska Southeast. In his personal life, Chris loves to eat, road trip, play volleyball, and hang out with his dog, Tofu.
TAMMY BITANGA / Treasurer
Tammy Bitanga is part of Hoʻōla Nā Pua’s Team as Director of Community Engagement. Tammy offers insight and expertise that can only come from being a survivor of childhood sexual exploitation. She infuses her boundless energy into organizing community awareness events and lends her experience from her own healing journey to the role of advocate to other victims and survivors. Tammy’s previous role as Volunteer Coordinator at Pearl Haven, Specialize Residential Treatment Campus, helped join the community to the volunteer opportunities.
Tammy’s life’s story is about rising out of the circumstances of early childhood abuse that led to being in “the system,” becoming a chronic runaway, victimization, and utter despair. Her testimony highlights the need for advocacy and mentoring for trafficking victims who desperately need safe adults in their life to guide them to healing and hope for a bright future.
In addition to community outreach to ensure victims|survivor’s needs are met, she works alongside local law enforcement to encourage the victim centered approach and aid in supporting survivors. This helps to serve as a bridge between both entities.
Whether on stage as a powerful speaker, behind the scenes as an event organizer, or working with survivors, her leadership is evident and inspiring.