The Board
2024 Officers and Director
.jpg)
Glen Barfield
President
In 1995, Glen Barfield, now an accredited American Orchid Society judge, and his psychotherapist wife Gay, moved to the Big Island to pursue Glen’s dream of living the surfing and orchid life. Glen’s predilection for Hawaii was evident well before his migration: the name of the small California orchid nursery he operated in the eighties was Okika Limited. Coupled with a love for orchids and always in hot pursuit of waves (a surfer since age 16) it was only a matter of time until he permanently washed up on the shores of Hawaii.
He has retained the name, Okika, for his boutique nursery in Glenwood, but Glen also had a day job as general manager at The OrchidWorks, Hawaii’s largest producer of orchid plugs for the pot plant trade until his retirement in 2014.
Glen now grows a small orchid collection and some vegetables. He is still active in the American Orhid Society Judging program and an active member of the Hilo Orchid Society. He is still a participating member in the Big Island Archery Club.
Glen and Gay have two sons, both of whom live in California. Two grandchildren have been added to the family tree and who knows how many more are yet to come.
_JPG%20D_JPG.jpg)
Denise Enos
Vice-President
Aloha neighbors and friends. My name is Denise Enos. It brings me great pleasure to serve as Vice President of the Aloha Estates Association community. As a native Hawaiian, born and raised on the island of Oahu and living on Hawaii Island (in Aloha Estates) since 2019, I feel a real sense of responsibility in preserving our Hawaiian culture and way of life. Being raised in a multi-ethnic family, I have a deep appreciation for Hawaii's unique diversity.
As a single working mom in my early years, a renter for 16 years and a homeowner for 25 years in Hawaii, I know the challenges that homeowners and tenants face every day. I hope that my knowledge and experience can positively contribute to keeping our neighborhood a safe and enjoyable place to live.
Professionally, my resume includes: owner/operator/chef of Leinani's Lunchwagon & Catering; Heavy Truck Repair Facilities Manager; Certified Pharmacy Technician, Tour Bus Driver and Escort; Rental Car Reservations Agent; Long Distance Operator and restaurant assistant manager.
Personally, my life experiences have been: deep sea fishing, including secretary of the Keehi Boat Club, Chairperson for the Annual Jackpot Tournament and Wahine Fishing Tournament; Outrigger Canoe paddling; surfing, diving; dog owner/breeder/trainer; horse owner/ breeder/trainer.
I promise to be an advocate for our homeowners and residents and to keep Aloha Estates a model community in the State of Hawaii. Mahalo
Tom Hoots
Secretary
I was a journeyman cement finisher in Western Washington State, where I grew up. Noticing my co-workers age, I realized that occupation takes a serious toll on the body. I then spent five years learning carpentry. When the economic downturn hit in the 1980s I went to work for the National Park Service, eventually retiring as Facility Manager at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 2007. I moved to Honolulu in 1989 and Aloha Estates in 2003. I feel my construction background, coupled with my experiences maintaining and preserving assets in numerous National Parks provides insight with projects of the Aloha Estates Association Board.
Aloha! I was born and raised in Hungary. After graduating, I immigrated to the United States and lived for 10 years in Las Vegas. In 2023 my wife and I moved to the Big Island and we purchased our house in Aloha Estates. I work as a GIS Manager/Developer for a Texas based land acquisition company.
Gary Gergely
Treasurer
Patty Needham
Director
Patty grew up on a farm in the Midwest, where she cultivated a love of all living things. In 1980 she graduated college and entered the healthcare field. During her career she managed two microbiology laboratories. She served as hospital Quality and Safety Manager where she worked to enhance patient safety. In the early 1990’s Patty led the hospital’s beta-site implementation of barcoded patient wristbands and decentralized phlebotomy, publishing a paper on the project in 1995. She later served as Safety Manager for a 400-bed hospital and was Publicity Chairperson for the Local Emergency Planning Committee where she coordinated tri-state emergency preparedness conferences for three years running.
After 911 Patty moved to the east coast and served as Executive Director of Safety and Emergency Management for a large pediatric hospital in Washington, DC. There she used her combined knowledge of microbiology, safety and emergency preparedness to help design and build a billion-dollar hospital tower that included an 18-shower mass decontamination and treatment annex, and a built-in surge and isolation capacity to expand a normal 60 bed patient floor into a 240-bed mass-isolation space. Patty conceptualized the means to create a safe emergency backup water source for the three-hospital campus, working with the city engineer to tie the existing aging high water main into a newly planned parallel high water main via an emergency connection valve (east coast infrastructure has issues with aging water lines), thus neutralizing a vulnerability at minimal expense. Patty served as a member of the DC Emergency Planning Committee and as Duty Officer for the city’s healthcare response during incidents and disasters.
Patty says the fuel that drove her career was the love of her three children and her desire to provide for them. She is blessed with three grandchildren. In 2014 Patty retired and moved to Hawaii where she gardens, volunteers and fosters dogs (190 so far). Patty appreciates having found this wonderful neighborhood and looks forward to serving the community to the best of her ability.
Leilani Kruger
Webmaster, Advisor
Born and raised in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, Leilani grew up in a family whose Hawaiian culture and community involvement was important. In the 1990s, she presided as president of the St. Joseph School PTG in Waipahu where her children attended school. In 1994 her mother suffered a stroke and she became her caregiver for the next 15 years, eventually moving to Hawaii island to build their dream home and nurture her young family.
Leilani joined Goodwill Industries in 2010 as a senior support specialist where she worked directly with developmentally disabled adults in the adult day health program. She worked for the U.S. Census Bureau during two decennials; in 2010 as an enumerator field worker and in 2020 as a field supervisor.