Monica Takamura named Chief Fiscal Officer at MEO

Maui Economic Opportunity has named Monica Takamura as its new Chief Fiscal Officer. The nonprofit has an annual budget of about $22 million.

Takamura took over for retiring CFO Debbie Lorenzo on June 18. She has the responsibility of managing and monitoring the finances of the 58-year-old nonprofit with more than 40 programs and 220 staff on Maui, Moloka‘i and Lānaʻi.

This includes shepherding her eight-member team, managing audits, grants, budgets and payroll and working with MEO’s five departments on fiscal matters.

Through her 25 years at MEO, Takamura worked her way up through the Fiscal Department from Accountant in 1998 to Accounting Manager in 2017, working directly under Lorenzo. Her rise included positions as Assistant Fiscal Officer, Budget Specialist and Senior Accountant. In September 2022, Takamura was named Fiscal Director, a transitional position to her becoming CFO.

Lorenzo remained with MEO until July 14 to assist with the transition, ending her 16 years as CFO and 31 years with MEO.

Takamura joined MEO from Tri-Isle, Inc., where she was a bookkeeper. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis on accounting from the University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa.

“Fiscal integrity, soundness and transparency are cornerstones of a thriving and trustworthy nonprofit organization,” said CEO Debbie Cabebe. “If grantors and donors are going to give you money, they have to know that the funds will be used wisely and according to their terms.

“MEO has a reputation of clean audits and abiding by often complex federal, state and county guidelines and reporting, which attests to Debbie Lorenzo’s leadership. Monica worked under Debbie, and she will continue that tradition of fiscal management.”

Cabebe noted that MEO has a GuideStar Gold Transparency Seal and is an accredited Better Business Bureau nonprofit agency.

“MEO has grown many of its senior leaders, and Monica is just another example,” said Cabebe. “Monica will do a great job.”