our team

Kekoa McClellan
Principal

Kekoa McClellan leads the McClellan Group (TMG) as its chief executive and principal. With over 15 years of experience in Hawai'i politics and business, he advises Fortune 100 firms and their C-suite executives on strategic investments, asset allocation, and succession planning. He also partners with major local non-profits to promote their visions and support their growth.

His work focuses on providing an objective, third-party perspective to help organizations run more efficiently and generate greater value, all while being guided by a deep-rooted aloha for Hawai‘i and its communities. Kekoa has served on numerous community and corporate boards, which has earned him the distinction as one of Hawai'i's young business leaders - joining the Pacific Business News' coveted “Forty under 40” class list and earning the “Outstanding Young Person” award from the Chamber of Commerce.

A proud graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kāpalama, Kekoa holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Hawai'i Pacific University and an executive MBA from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. His wife, Makana, serves as Director of Communications for Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green. Together, they have three children.

The Advisory Board

Momi Cazimero
Advisory Board Member

Momi Cazimero is a pioneering business leader, having founded the first woman-owned graphic design company in Hawaii – Graphic House. Her creative spirit and business acumen made her company one of the most successful design firms in the state.

Born in Pepe'ekeo, Hawai`i, she moved to Oahu at a young age and attended Kamehameha Schools. She also attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she developed her passion for graphic design, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

As a woman of Native Hawaiian, Okinawan, and English ancestry, Cazimero has been a leader across communities. She has served in various senior positions, including as the Vice Chair of the State Judicial Selection Commission, President of the Bishop Museum Council, Commissioner of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Chair of the Small Business Advisory Council, and Vice Chair of the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents. Additionally, she presides as one of the Directors Emeritus of the annual Aloha Festival. Cazimero is also a recipient of the Pacific Business News’ Gladys Kamakakuokalani Ainoa Brandt Kupuna Award and the University of Hawai'i’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

She is married to Lester Nakasone and has four children.

John David Waiheʻe III
Advisory Board Member

John David Waiheʻe III served as the fourth Governor of Hawaii from 1986 to 1994 – the first American of Native Hawaiian descent to be elected to the office from any state of the United States.

Born in Honoka`a, Hawai`i, he received his Bachelor’s degree in History and Business from Andrews University in Michigan and his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii. He is a prominent politician, lawyer, and advocate for Native Hawaiian interests.

His political career began with his election to the Constitutional Convention of 1978. Shortly afterwards, he was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 1980, and in 1982, he was elected lieutenant governor of Hawaii. Throughout his career, he has been a strong voice for the Native Hawaiian community, and in 2011, he was appointed to the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission – now called Kana`iolowalu – serving as its only Commissioner At-Large.

He is married to Lynne Kobashigawa and has two children.

Thomas 'Aimoku McClellan

Advisory Board Member

Thomas 'Aimoku McClellan is a successful Native Hawaiian businessman and entrepreneur, having founded a multitude of businesses across industries throughout his career. Most recently he was the CEO of Pelatron, Inc., a Native Hawaiian Owned 8(a) Corporation specilizing in the design, engineering, build, and test of Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4) Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems for the Department of Defense (DoD), Marine Corps, and Air Force.

He was instrumental in growing Pelatron from a small Hawai’i-based company with limited capabilities into a premier firm that won the Fastest 50 Hawai’i business award in 2011. His leadership and his acute understanding of how to build a skilled, local workforce also led him to co-found the Pelatron Center for Economic Development (PCED) -- a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the economic welfare of Native Hawaiians by providing them with the training, mentorship, and partnerships that help them establish and grow their businesses.

'Aimoku's leadership has consistently centered on uplifting the Native Hawaiian community and providing opportunities for future generations to thrive.

Meet the Team

Senior Policy Advisor

Patrick Pihana Branco

Patrick Pihana Branco is a proud graduate of the Kamehameha Schools and currently works at OneBrief, a defense technology startup based in Honolulu. He previously served as a White House Fellow, where he advised the Secretary of the Navy and the White House Office of Management and Budget on shipbuilding and industrial base policy.

He was the first Native Hawaiian selected for the White House Fellowship and the first from Hawai‘i to receive the Congressman Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, which fully supported his education and opened the door to a career in foreign policy. As a U.S. diplomat, he served in Colombia, Pakistan, Venezuela, and at the Secretary of State’s Operations Center. In 2020, he was elected to represent his hometown of Kailua in the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives.

He continues his service as a Navy Reserve intelligence officer and speaks Spanish, with working knowledge of Korean and Hawaiian.

Administrative Director

Dean Kainaokalani Rodan

Dean Kainaokalani Rodan joined the TMG team in 2025 as an executive assistant. A proud Asian American and Native Hawaiian professional in D.C., he has previously worked on election campaigns, in the U.S. Senate, and at a Federal Agency.

Dean was born and raised in Hawai`i. He graduated from Punahou School in 2015 and earned a bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Princeton University in 2019. His family lives on Oahu and Molokai.

Outside of TMG, he works on federal appropriations for defense clients. In his free time, he practices Chado at his local Urasenke tea school.

Director of Cultural Preservation & Curatorship

Kawika Lōkela Shook

Kawika Lōkela Shook joined the TMG team in 2023 as an advisor and curator for Native Hawaiian cultural initiatives. He possesses more than 10 years of experience in Hawaiian cultural preservation, nonprofit management and land stewardship.

Kawika graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kāpalama in 2006 and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces in 2011. He holds a master of public administration (MPA) from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where he also received his certificate in nonprofit management from UH's College of Social Sciences in 2017.

In his free time, Kawika enjoys working on his family's farm in ʻŌlaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island and spending quality time with his wife, Paoakalani, and son, Lōkela.

Director of Community Engagement

Cyrus Johnasen

Cyrus Johnasen was the Director of Communications and Public Information Officer for Hawaiʻi County under Mayor Mitch Roth. A Hilo native, he is an alumnus of Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. With nearly 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors, Cyrus has established a strong reputation for leading strategic communications, advancing community-building efforts, and advocating for meaningful societal change. His expertise in developing and implementing organizational strategies to address social disparities reflects his lifelong dedication to uplifting Hawaiʻi’s underserved populations.

contact

2319 Ahamoa Street • Pearl City, Hawaii 96782

Email: kekoa@themcclellangroup.com • Phone: 808-393-7937

Hawaiʻi Legislature Convenes