Pa'ia Youth & Cultural Center Staff Bios

Susun White, Executive Director

Aloha! I have been the team leader at the Pa'ia Youth and Cultural Center since 1994. It has been a wonderful adventure and I am grateful to all the youth and community members who have graced our doors. I love teenagers and consider myself blessed to be able to spend the majority of my days within hearing range of their perspective of the planet. Both my children were raised at the PYCC and my husband Gregory has spent many hours tending to the grounds. Throughout the years I have striven to make PYCC a safe loving place that supports and enhances the creativity of all our members. My personal passions are yoga, dance, bike riding, and ocean swimming.

Laura Civitello, KOPO-LP 88.9FM RadiOpio Program Director

I'm Laura Civitello the Program Director here at radiOpio, Pa'ia Youth and Cultural Center's very own radio station. I've lived and worked as an artist and entertainer on Maui for over twenty years. I discovered my own love of radio as a DJ at non-commercial Manao Radio. I love to share the powerful medium of radio with youth. There's nothing that's more fun than putting our members behind the mic here at 88.9FM! There are lots of interesting ways to be part of radiOpio. PYCC members can learn the basics of engineering their own radio show and share the music they love, their own original music, poetry, ideas, and thoughts with our listening audience, which is growing daily. radiOpio is ready and waiting for YOU to speak out, so come down and help make KOPO-LP 88.9FM the coolest radio station on the planet!

Ryan Worcester, Stonewave Skatepark Program Director

I’m Ryan Worcester and am the Stonewave Skatepark Director at the PYCC. I’ve worked in the action-sports field as a sponsored multisport athlete, as a writer and photographer for action-sports publications and companies, and as a terrain/program designer for the United States Forest Service as well as U.S. ski resorts. I’ve also worked with various municipalities regarding skatepark development and planning. I’ve spent a lot of my life working and recreating at countless skateparks domestically and internationally, and I have had the privilege of working with and around youth in the process. At the PYCC I’ll be working with the talented group of members and staff to continue the tradition of the Stonewave Skatepark being a safe, positive and creative outlet for local youth and visitors alike.

Ben Rachunas, Pa'ia Bay Cafe & Malama Pono Program Specialist

My name is Benjamin and I graduated from Rowan University where I studied sociology, psychology, and child development. During my many breaks from the university I traveled the country living and working in various communities where I had the opportunity to experience raw and living foods, ayurvedic, and macrobiotic lifestyles. I have come to the PYCC to share my experience of the world's diverse cultures and how they are expressed through the foods we enjoy.

Peter Swanzy, Hekili Multimedia Lab Manager, PR Director, Database Manager, MPPV Program Specialist

At the PYCC I mentor youth with music, photography, video, audio engineering, Photoshop, graphics, and all things media! I earned my BFA in Music Performance and Composition from the College of Santa Fe. My music and film work has been commissioned, premiered, and presented in Europe, Australia, New York, Hawaii, and throughout the West Coast. My work has also been featured in the Telluride Film Festival, Mountain Film on Tour, and in several festivals of new music.

Lantana Hoke, Drop-In Program Specialist

I grew up here on Maui and am an alumni of the PYCC. I studied English and Anthropology and played soccer at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia, and I received my Master's degree in English Literature from the University of Hawaii. I love the positive energy of everyone here at the PYCC. As a Drop-in Specialist, I like getting creative and seeing where the day takes us with art projects, getting active, or just playing around. I'm passionate about living a healthy lifestyle which I believe includes taking care of our minds and bodies. In my free time, I love to surf, dance, run, go to yoga and write.

Juliana Prater, Malama Pono Project Venture Program Coordinator

I grew up in Alaska and graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a B.B.A. in Marketing and Management. Along the way, I worked with various companies such as Red Bull Energy Drink, PND Engineers, Inc., and non-profit organizations in marketing and business development. I feel like life has been a constant voyage of finding new experiences and great people. PYCC is a great discovery and I enjoy surrounding myself with such positive energy and amazing youth!

Brandon LaRue, House Host

Born and raised in beautiful South Lake Tahoe California, I started to become very overpowered by the beauty of the landscapes and seasons. I made a decision to collect and preserve that beauty from my perspective and share it with the world for the rest of my life. That was six years ago and ever since then I have devoted my time to mastering the art of photography. Lake Tahoe and California are beautiful, also very inspiring, but I needed a change. From one paradise to the next I pursued my dreams and moved to Maui in 2007. I LOVE every single summer fun activity known, golf being one of my favorites. Little did I know the universe had bigger plans for my life when I received an opportunity to serve Maui's youth, to inspire a fun and safe environment at the PYCC. To malama the PYCC hale, the keiki and the north shore's ohana is a great honor. Mahalos and aloha, Brando!