Hale Kipa is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Dianne Bowen-Coleman as its new Program Director. Dr. Bowen-Coleman comes to Hale Kipa with a wealth of experience working for and volunteering with many non-profits, all of which focus on the wellbeing of children, teens, young adults, and their families. 

Dr. Bowen-Coleman is a summa cum laude graduate of the Royal University of Groningen School of Medicine in Groningen, The Netherlands, where she received her Medical Doctorate and Master of Science degrees and continued to their Pediatric residency program. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Outside of her professional work, Dr. Bowen-Coleman is a member of the James Campbell High School Academy of Health Sciences Advisory Board and the Indigenous Education Institute Board of Directors. She is a member of the Honolulu Intertribal Powwow Committee as well as a former executive board member of the Oahu Intertribal Council. She spent over 18 years as a volunteer Girl Scout Leader for Girl Scouts Caribe and Girl Scouts Hawai’i, mentoring girls from pre-school through college, earning her the Outstanding Leader Award.

Dr. Bowen-Coleman is a fluent Dutch speaker and lived in New Mexico, Connecticut, and Puerto Rico before settling in Hawai’i with her husband and two daughters. She holds dear three Hawaiian values that have inspired her and informed her personal and professional pursuits: ho`omau (perseverance), kakou (inclusivity), and ka lā hiki ola (optimism and promise). 

Dr. Bowen-Coleman’s passion for justice, education, advocacy, public health, and volunteerism is the foundation that motivates her both professionally and personally in her work and connection to her communities.​

“I passionately believe that every child deserves a safe, healthy, supportive, and nurturing environment in which to grow, learn, achieve, and thrive,” Dr. Bowen-Coleman further stated. “I am humbled and honored to be a part of the Hale Kipa `ohana, where I am optimistic that I will be able to make a difference not only within the organization but in the lives of those it serves.”