Leadership
The Honolulu Museum of Art’s senior management team is comprised of seasoned executives from diverse personal and professional backgrounds who are highly committed to the long-term success of the museum and the community that it serves.
Halona Norton-Westbrook
Director & CEO
Halona Norton-Westbrook became the eleventh Director of the Honolulu Museum of Art in January 2020. Before her appointment at HoMA, she served as Director of Curatorial Affairs and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Toledo Museum of Art. Prior to that position, she was the recipient of the Andrew W. Mellon Leadership Fellowship at the Toledo Museum of Art, a program designed to train the next generation of museum leaders. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and having lived in London for several years for her studies, Norton-Westbrook received a Bachelor’s Degree in American History and Studio Art from Mills College, a Master’s Degree in Art History from Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Museology from the University of Manchester.
Under Norton-Westbrook’s leadership, HoMA continues its long-standing commitment to art of the highest quality, education, and accessibility while embracing innovation and emerging perspectives to promote relevancy and inclusivity.
hnortonwestbrook@honolulumuseum.org
Penni Hall
Chief Operating Officer
Before joining HoMA as Chief Operating Officer in 2022, Penni Hall served as Head of Strategic Projects and Governance for M+ museum in Hong Kong, successfully aligning people, projects, and the conceptual vision for the high-profile museum’s recent grand opening. A well-rounded leader and strategist in the international arts and culture industry, Hall also previously served in key positions at the National Theatre in London and the Melbourne Fashion Festival. She is a graduate of the University of Melborne, Australia, and has participated in the prestigious Advanced Cultural Leadership Programme in Hong Kong (a part of the Clore Leadership Programme in London), and the Getty Leadership Institute’s Executive Education for Museum Leaders.
In her critical position, Hall is responsible for overseeing the museum’s finance, facility, security, technology, human resources, collections, and revenue operations. In addition, she guides strategic planning, facilitates cross-departmental workflows, and optimizes resource management to ensure the museum can continue to serve and engage with our community for generations to come.
Aaron Padilla
Director of Learning and Engagement
Born and raised on the island of O‘ahu, Director of Learning and Engagement Aaron Padilla received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting and printmaking at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington; a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Ceramics at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; and is an alumnus of the Museum Leadership Institute’s NextGen Program. An accomplished artist, Padilla’s work has appeared in exhibitions and galleries across the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. He has taught studio art to all levels at a variety of schools and organizations in Honolulu and has served on the boards of Hawai‘i Craftsmen and the International Art Society of Hawai‘i.
At HoMA, Padilla is driven by the belief that art is the visual expression of our experiences, reflecting who we are, and that the act of creating art cultivates a sense of fearlessness, curiosity, and lifelong learning.
Budd Lauer
Director of Advancement
Budd Lauer has served in advancement leadership positions at Purdue University, Clarion University Foundation, Maryknoll School, and the USS Missouri Memorial. His professional experience is informed by a wide range of educational disciplines. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Lauer earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Management from Park University, a Master of Business Administration from Webster University, and a Master of Arts Economics from the University of Oklahoma.
In collaboration with HoMA’s Director, he now guides a cohesive and comprehensive fundraising program that celebrates a culture of philanthropy in the museum community —activating current and former board members, community advisors, and other key constituents in support of the organization’s vision and mission.
Catherine Whitney
Director of Curatorial Affairs
Catherine Whitney has more than twenty years of curatorial and educational experience, including ten years as Chief Curator of the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and time at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in the conservation, education, and curatorial divisions. She also helped build several museum and private collections as an American art dealer and Director at the Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, specializing in regionalism and modern art. Born and raised in Maine, Whitney earned a Graduate Degree in Art History from the University of Maryland after completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art and Art History at Bowdoin College.
Since arriving at HoMA, Whitney co-conceived and transformed the museum’s outdoor courtyards with the help of her colleagues and local artists. She anticipates transforming HoMA’s permanent collection galleries and injecting new energy and audience-based approaches into its ambitious and diverse slate of upcoming exhibitions.
Jason Morrison
Director of Campus Operations
Jason Morrison’s professional background is a mix of museum, engineering, and industrial experience, including six years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, before joining HoMA in 2020. For more than one decade, Morrison leveraged his training in government, private, and non-profit organizations within Hawai‘i’s maritime industry, including several years as Vice President of Facilities and Engineering from the Battleship Missouri Memorial. There, he led preservation, maintenance, facilities management, and safety initiatives. An alumnus of Punahou School with family on both O‘ahu and Maui, Morrison graduated with an engineering degree from the United States Naval Academy and, following his military service, obtained a Master’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Michigan.
As Director of Operations, he strives to stabilize and improve the campus’s overall beauty and sustainability in alignment with the museum’s mission.
Kevin Imanaka
Chief Communications Officer
Kevin Imanaka joined the museum’s senior management team in 2019 with an established career in helping to build corporate brands through communications, community relations, and public affairs. Imanaka previously served as Director of Strategic Communications at Kamehameha Schools and held senior communications positions at Hawaiian Airlines and Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i. Born and raised on the island of O‘ahu, he graduated from Punahou School before receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
At HoMA, Imanaka leads the museum’s communications, marketing, and branding initiatives and plays a key role in its strategic planning and related communication efforts.
Sharon Stillman
Director of Human Resources
Sharon Stillman brings to HoMA a professional career in human resources (HR) of more than twenty years. Stillman has served a vast array of for-profit and nonprofit organizations, providing HR counsel in transportation and lodging, retail, aquaculture, and education industries. Though born and raised in the Fiji Islands, Stillman considers herself a native of San Francisco, where she studied nursing at San Francisco State University before beginning her career in HR at United Parcel Service. Prior to her current role, she was Human Resources Manager at Oceanic Institute of Hawai‘i Pacific University.
Since 2014, Stillman has been responsible for providing guidance and leadership for all aspects of HR within the museum, playing a critical role in programs and policies that support employees.
Board of Trustees
As of July 1, 2021
Officers:
Kathleen Wo, Chair
Sharon Twigg-Smith, Vice Chair
Herb Conley, Vice President
Patricia Y. Lee, Secretary
Rajiv Batra, Treasurer
Kaili Chun
Josh Feldman
Mark Fukunaga
Priscilla Growney
Stephanie Hee
Michelle Ho
Lynne Johnson
Robert S. Katz
James Lally
Violet S.W. Loo
Melissa Lum
Amber Strong Makaiau
Avi Mannis
Noreen Mulliken
Kelly Sueda
Ruedi Thoeni
Simon Treacy
Michael Watanabe
JD Watumull