Barbara A. Hastings develops communication strategy and provides editorial direction for the H&P team. She oversees public outreach programs, crisis and issue management and participates in garnering public support for programs and issues. Hastings advises clients on handling sensitive matters as well as on energy, environmental and technical communication. She offers experience in publication management, design and content.

She has been a newspaper journalist and professional communicator for 40 years in Honolulu and on the Mainland. She has been a public relations professional for 20 years. She has received local and national recognition for her writing, campaign strategy and crisis management.

Hastings, who lives on Hawaii Island, provides neighbor island perspective to communication strategies. She participates in various civic and service organizations with the dual objectives of keeping an ear to the ground and advancing community wellbeing. She has served as president of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, sits on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island and of the Zonta Club of Hilo (part of Zonta International) and serves on the Mayor’s Healthcare Task Force and of Hospice of Hilo’s community capital campaign.

Hastings taught journalism courses for several years, and has continued to mentor aspiring communication professionals.

Hastings is married to retired journalist Mike Middlesworth, and has one daughter, Rhea Hastings Olsen, who is a social worker with Partners in Development in Honolulu.

Barbra Pleadwell is a communication strategist whose savvy spans word-of-mouth, print, radio, television, the web, environmental promotion, direct mail and events. She develops strategies for a broad range of industries, architects major media campaigns, and maneuvers organizations through issues and crises.

Pleadwell leads H&P’s new media strategy. She maintains the firm’s blog and YouTube channel and works with clients to expand their campaigns online. Her client campaigns and observations about new media have been the subject of media reports.

Pleadwell develops communication strategies for clients in a broad range of industries, architects major media campaigns, maneuvers organizations through crises, and oversees design or revamp of communication tools.

Pleadwell serves several nonprofit organizations pro bono. She is active with the Junior League of Honolulu (JLH) and has been instrumental in the high-profile HerStory women’s conference since its inception, bringing speakers such as Dr. Dot Richardson and Sally Ride to Honolulu audiences. Pleadwell received the JLH’s Active Award in 2001, and the Community Service Award in 2004.

Pleadwell is a past president for the Organization of Women Leaders (OWL) and vice chair for Kahi Mohala Behavioral Health. She is a board member for the YWCA of Oahu. Pleadwell is a member of International Association of Business Communicators and Public Relations Society of America.

Pleadwell graduated with honors in communication from Chaminade University of Honolulu, and holds a masters degree in American Studies from University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Hawaii Business featured Pleadwell in its March 2007 issue for a cover story titled, “25 People who will shape the next 25 years.” Among the first and youngest to be honored by Pacific Business News in its first Forty Under 40 Awards in 2000, she also was named Small Business Hawaii’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001. She was recently among a select group of women leaders to be recognized by the Hawaii Women’s Business Center for contributions made to Hawaii’s community of businesswomen. She and partner Barbara Hastings received the Small Business Administration’s Chamption of Women in Business Award for Hawaii and Region IX in 2007.

Originally from Guam, she worked as a journalist for Guam Business News and the Pacific Daily News before her transition to public relations.

Pleadwell is married to Jayson Harper and has two daughters.

Kayleen Polichetti is an accomplished writer and community outreach specialist with local and international experience. She has lived and worked in Asia, South Asia, Hawai‘i and Washington, D.C.

Polichetti is grounded in culture and the arts, environmental and energy-related issues, and visitor industry matters. She has developed communication strategies and materials for business, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.

She has worked to educate legislators, community leaders and the public on issues relating to arts education, community building and development, tourism, energy, health care. Personally and professionally, she has championed greater awareness of the arts and culture in our lives, our communities and our economies.

Previous media experience includes work for publications in Asia and South Asia as well as Hawai‘i. As a member of a U.S. foreign family, Polichetti developed a deep appreciation for global cultures from East Africa to Afghanistan to India and Asia.

Dawn L. Hunt concentrates on executing innovative communication strategies and client relations. She assists with building strong client campaigns and reformation of communication tools and messaging for a wide scope of clients and industries.

Hunt maintains the capacity to effectively connect and interact within the local community. A born and raised O‘ahu girl, she employs a grassroots approach and understands the importance of the islands’ diverse culture.

Hunt has previous experience with various small firms in sales, advertising and public relations.

Hunt received her B.A. in communication studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a Punahou School graduate.

Ashley L. Kierkiewicz works in the Hilo office for Hastings & Pleadwell as an account executive. Her Hawai’i Island roots gives her a unique understanding of the state’s cultural diversity and her experience has taught her to interact with others in a humble and professional manner.

She is a vivacious and energetic young woman, who owes her confidence and effective communication skills to being involved in pageants, modeling and hosting her own radio show, Teen Talk with Ashley. She coordinated and hosted a Mayoral Forum for Hawai‘i Island teenagers and has organized dozens of drug and alcohol free teen dances.

Kierkiewicz interned for former Hawai’i County Mayor, Harry Kim, as well as the Department of Environmental Management Personnel Section. Most recently, she spent a semester interning for the office of Senator Daniel K. Akaka in Washington, D.C., honing her networking and communication skills while dealing with constituents, members of Congress, and their staff.

Kierkiewicz holds a B.S. in political science from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and is a member of the National Political Science Honor Society, Phi Sigma Alpha. She received the Most Outstanding Graduating Political Science Senior Award and participated in the 2009 Model United Nations Conference in New York City, in which the UH Hilo team placed 2nd overall amongst 300+ schools from around the world.

Ryan Ishibashi began his career in business at the Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce under the presidency of Barbara Hastings in 2008, and has worked in various administrative positions since. Ishibashi uses his knowledge and abilities to assist the H&P team on various aspects of accounts and projects.

Ishibashi was born and raised in Hilo on Hawai‘i Island. Ryan received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Hawai‘i Pacific University.

Maile Thompson tracks and coordinates projects and programs for H&P and its clients, assures timely execution of tasks, and coordinates media and other reports.

Thompson was born and raised in Waimanalo, Hawaii. She graduated from Punahou School and received her B.S. in business administration from San Diego State University.