Our Team

Audrey E. Awaya

Executive Director
Audrey is responsible for managing all activities of the corporation. Prior to her appointment as executive director in 2020, Audrey served as a Pacific Housing project manager and senior project manager and has over 30 years of affordable housing development experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in human development and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Karen R. Arakawa

Director of Project Development
Karen oversees acquisition, new construction, and rehabilitation of housing projects undertaken by Pacific Housing and supervises the development staff. She joined the corporation in 1995 and has been highly involved in real estate development, working on project feasibility, acquisition, entitlement, financing, and retaining and managing development consultants and general contractors. Karen has vast experience in using financing from federal, state, and county governments, including federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and Hula Mae multifamily bonds, and securing support from private lenders and private foundations. Prior to joining Pacific Housing, she worked for the City and County of Honolulu Department of Housing and Community Development as a planner in charge of facilitating the development of affordable housing on Oʻahu. Karen received a bachelor’s degree in planning from the University of Puget Sound.

Patrick C. Delaney

Director of Finance and Asset Management
Patrick is responsible for the accounting, taxes, and financial reporting activities of the corporation. Patrick also supervises our third-party property managers, ensuring portfolio performance and resident satisfaction. Patrick has a wide range of experience in accounting in Hawaiʻi and on the mainland, and has previously worked for several public accounting firms, including Coopers & Lybrand. Prior to joining the team at Pacific Housing, he served as a project controller and property accountant at Avalon Development LLC. Patrick received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from George Mason University.

Lacey K. Shimabukuro

Development Project Manager
Lacey is responsible for coordinating the development of affordable housing projects and related support services. She previously worked as a planner with PBR Hawaii then managed her family’s commercial and residential assets for 15 years. Lacey oversaw the design, financing, and renovation for the Waimalu Shopping Center in Aiea, Hawaii and the conversion of an office building to residential lofts in Downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. Lacey holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Southern California and an Executive MBA from the University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business. She serves on the Lanakila Pacific board of directors and is a past president of the Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii.

Mary Joy D. Geeslin

Associate Asset Manager

Mary Joy (MJ) supports the Director of Finance and Asset Management in managing all aspects of the portfolio and supervising Pacific Housing’s third-party property management agents to ensure day-to-day effectiveness and performance in both operations and compliance. MJ started her career as a financial analyst with Prudential in Philippines before transitioning to Affordable Housing Property Management in Hawaii. Prior to joining Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation, she worked at Locations Hawaii as an Assistant Property Manager and at Mark Development Inc. as a Property Manager for Senior Housing. In these roles, MJ handled properties owned by the City & County, Hawai’i Community Development Corporation, Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation, and Kamehameha Schools. She earned her degree in Information Technology at West Negros University-STI.

Jessica L. Gasmen

Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper
Jessica supports the development, finance, and asset management staff of Pacific Housing. Jessica worked as a legislative aide to the chair of the State House Committee on Housing, Representative Nadine K. Nakamura, during the 2022 legislative session. Jessica graduated with distinction from the University of Hawaiʻi at West Oʻahu with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with concentrations in management and accounting.