MEO welcomes Jared Appleby as CFO; Melissa Magonigle as HR Director

Jared Appleby and Melissa Magonigle joined the Maui Economic Opportunity executive leadership team in April as Chief Fiscal Officer and Human Resources Director, respectively.

“We are pleased to have such experienced and qualified individuals filling pivotal roles at MEO,” said Executive Director Maggie Batangan. “Jared and Melissa will enable MEO to continue to assist thousands of Maui County residents in need as we have for the last 6 decades.”

As one of the largest nonprofits in Maui County, MEO offers an assortment of assistance and services on Maui, including East Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. The more than 250 staff members run more than 30 programs, ranging from Maui Bus paratransit to Head Start preschool, and assisted nearly 31,000 individuals and families in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Appleby worked at Marriott Vacations Worldwide in Lahaina as a senior finance and accounting leader for more than 3 years before joining MEO on April 20. He held positions including Market Director of Finance, his last post before joining MEO, Director of Finance at The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas and Financial Analysis Manager at The Westin Kāʻanapali Ocean Resort Villas.

His resume also includes positions with Signature Flight Support in Kahului and Coastal View Construction in Lahaina.

The Lahaina resident has a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Pensacola Christian College in Florida. 

As CFO, Appleby will plan, direct, coordinate and implement all fiscal activities and functions; be responsible for budget planning, development and management; and ensure that proper accounting procedures are maintained in accordance with federal, state and local regulations. 

Magonigle has more than 20 years of experience in personnel systems, workforce policies and organizational operations. She joined MEO on April 13 after serving as Community Coordinator of the Maui Coalition for Drug-Free Youth, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute.

Prior to the Drug-Free Youth Coalition position, she was an executive assistant in the Maui County Office of Recovery and Business Administrator and Office Operations Assistant in the Hāna Police Station for the Maui Police Department.

She also is a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves, where she has served for nearly 30 years, and has been an instructor for the Command and General Staff Officer Course since 2019. More than 20 years of her service has been in personnel management, organizational leadership, training development and workforce administration in complex environments as Major – Deputy Secretary of the Joint Staff, Senior Human Resources Officer; Major – Commander of the Hawaii Headquarters Detachment, Senior Human Resources Officer; and Captain – Administrative Officer, Human Resources.

Magonigle earned her Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Troy University in Alabama and her Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Florida.

As Human Resource Director, Magonigle will plan, lead, direct and coordinate policies, activities and the staff of the Human Resource Department, ensuring legal compliance and implementation of the organization’s mission, staff and compensation strategy.