Staff
Lynne Waihee
President - lynne@readtomeintl.org
As a youngster, Lynne Waihee found magic in her otherwise mundane life through the world of princesses and princes, fairy tales and fables. In real life, Read To Me International President Lynne Waihee has led a charmed life as a former First Lady of Hawai‘i, during which time she served as the Honorary Chair for the Governor’s Council for Literacy. A former high school English teacher, literacy was a perfect fit for her role as First Lady, and Waihee has now championed childhood literacy’s cause for over 23 years. She recalls with fondness reading in bed to her own children, John IV and Jennifer, and anxiously awaits the day she has grandchildren to whom she can read. Meanwhile, she finds great joy in reading aloud to anyone’s children, and to adults as well . . . including husband John.
Liane Akana
Executive Director - liane@readtomeintl.org
Liane Akana has served as the Executive Director of Read To Me International since 2000. As a child, she experienced the joy of being read aloud to by her mother and passed along the tradition with her two sons, Kevin and Aaron. Liane put her passion for books and reading to good use at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Oregon, School of Architecture and Allied Arts, where she received a B.A. in Sociology and an M.S. in Public Affairs, respectively. A recovering binge reader, Liane rediscovered Newberry Award books and can finally attend to the demands of family life.
Pat Mizuno
Program Director
Dubbed the “Read To Me Goddess,” Big Island-born Pat Mizuno serves as Program Director of Read To Me International. While still a mortal, she received a B.S. in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the