Her Story
About Dawn
Dawni Kalili-Iokia, CCUE – WCMS, serves as Chief Operations Officer at Hawaii Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union, where she oversees the Operations, Specialized Services, Marketing, and IT departments. With over 30 years of experience in the financial institution industry, she brings a systems-level approach to leadership, ensuring that all departments function in alignment and support the overall member experience. Her work is centered on operational excellence, cross-functional collaboration, and strengthening service delivery across the organization. Her career in financial services began as a vendor with Velera, where she was first introduced to the credit union movement and the philosophy of “people helping people.” That early exposure became a defining influence in her career, inspiring her long-term commitment to the credit union industry. She went on to serve in progressively responsible roles at PSCU and Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union, building deep expertise in payments, service delivery, and member-focused operations. Originally from Waianae, she has also overcome stereotypes associated with her upbringing, using her journey as proof that strong leadership and success can emerge from any community. Dawni recently completed her studies at Pomona College, where she attended the Western Credit Union Management School for three years and earned her Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation from Western Credit Union Management School. Returning to school after many years in the workforce allowed her to refocus, deepen her leadership capabilities, and continue her professional growth while balancing life as an empty nester. Her journey reflects resilience, lifelong learning, and a sustained commitment to advancing both her career and the credit union mission.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dawn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having great mentors and supporters in my life. In my career, I've had a couple of mentors that truly believed in my worth. These mentors saw something in me, that I myself did not at the time. I have a deep admiration for Dyanne Bardi, my first career mentor. She instilled in me, true value of oneself and personal respect. She embodied true guidance by example, and I was so blessed to have her in my life. She returned home to be with our heavenly father in 2023, may she rest in heaven. Ariel Chun, she nurtured my spirit without even knowing that she was doing it. She is the epitome of an Influential Woman. Rene Matsuura, she guided and helped me to place all the missing pieces of my career. She had the ability of seeing my true potential and guided me to reach my goals through true leadership. My amazing sister Shawn and niece Daisha, they were my guiding light when I doubted myself and reminded me often that it's okay to have bad days, but don't forget to rise up.
I look at success as a "work-in-process" daily commitment. You don't receive or hit success one day and quit. You work on being successful every day. Success stems from ups and downs, good days and bad days, continued changes and most importantly, your love for life and for people.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is: to become a lifelong learner. Knowledge is key and something that I actually wished I learned sooner in life. Another piece of advice that I received was to meet as much people as you can, when you can. Networking is also key for growth.
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03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is believe in yourself. Move forward with your ability and your power. Don't let past setbacks or stereotypes define you or hold you back. You have a choice in life - you can work hard and make it, or you can allow people to bring you down. The decision is yours; the choice is yours, and only you can chase and reach that goal. Don't let anyone's perception of your background or circumstances limit what you believe you can achieve. All things are possible.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is keeping our members safe from bad-actors and, the constant technology shift. Fraud has become so rampant around the world and it's getting worse every day. With the technology shift, it's hard to keep up with the high demands of new software and the cost that comes with it. What's also challenging is protecting our aging generation from technology. With AI, it's hard for people to determine what is real anymore.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are respect and family. Respect is fundamental to how I interact with people across all generations and backgrounds. I was raised to always respect my elders, and I carry that value forward while also adapting to understand and respect different generational perspectives. Family is at the core of everything I do - as an empty nester with my children and grandchildren no longer in my home, family remains my driving force. The credit union philosophy of 'people helping people' resonates deeply with me because it extends that sense of family and community to my professional life. I want to be there for others, to provide a light for people who feel they can't believe in themselves, just as my mentors were there for me.
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