Charlene Kihara
Charlene Kihara
About Our Guest Speaker
Charlene Kihara grew up in Honolulu and attended the University of Hawaii, Manoa, attaining her BA and MSW with concentration in gerontology. She then attained a paralegal certificate from the University of San Diego.
In July 2015, she received her Tokudo and is currently studying for a Kiyoshi certificate from the Institute of Buddhist Studies, CA (IBS).
Charlene previously worked in the court system (Supreme Court, District Court, Family Court) and at Aloha Nursing and Ohana Health Plan before retiring.
She currently serves as recording secretary of the HI Betsuin Buddhist Women’s Assn., participates in Family Promise and is a member of the Compassionate Care Committee at the Betsuin.
Charlene is the caregiver for her 96 year old mother who has dementia. She has a son Ryan, who lives in San Diego and she is also a pet parent to Avia, a miniature schnauzer. Charlene has a passion for cooking shows on the Food Network and also enjoys Korean dramas.