Biography

Michele is currently the supervisor of the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation, Dispensary Licensing Section at the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, responsible for ensuring that qualifying patients have safe and legal access to cannabis for medical use. Michele was previously the Branch Chief for Disease Investigations for the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health where she led a team of highly skilled professionals who oversaw statewide infectious disease surveillance and implemented successful responses to foodborne  illness, dengue fever,vaccine-preventable diseases, hepatitis A, and influenza occurrences for 30 years.   

Michele’s interests are the result of her work and life experience and commitment to serving communities. Her focus in public health and the law is centered on legal epidemiology, the scientific study of how laws affect the public’s health. During law school, Michele completed an externship with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Law Program where she conducted state law and policy reviews on healthcare worker and patient vaccinations, pain management clinics, and State Innovation Models. 

As a career public health program manager, Michele is passionate about relationship building and conflict management in organizations. As a student at Richardson, Michele was a member of the Client Counseling Team and a national semi-finalist in the 2017 American Bar Association Client Counseling Competition. Michele's roles as disease investigator, supervisor, manager, wife, and parent, have informed her skill as a fact finder, conflict manager, and dispute resolver.

Michele currently serves on the boards of Soroptimist International of Honolulu and the William S. Richardson Alumni Association. Her favorite song is “Imagine” by John Lennon.