Founder/Chairwoman

Melsihna [BS, MA] is a mother of 4 and a grandma of 1. She comes to us from Pelenekous, Pingelap Atoll, Pohnpei State. She grew up in Pohnpei, lived in Saipan, Virginia, and few other places before moving to Utah. Her homeland of Pingelap Atoll is known as “The Island of the Colorblind” (Oliver Sacks). She has lived in Utah for 30+ years, which is more than the number of years she had lived in her homeland. She holds her birthplace sacred because it is the only connection she has to her parental ancestors.

Co-chairwoman / Secretary

Persida Samson comes to us from Pingelap, Pohnpei. She lived in Laie, Hawaii as a child while her parents were going to school and later went to school at BYU-H. She also lived in Louisiana, Missouri and some other places before moving to Utah with her family. She is a single-mother of 4 children (3 boys and 1 girl). She is an Entrepreneur and owns her own online business “Jazz-It-UP Island Style”. She is actively involved with the “Utah Pingelap/Pohnpei Organization” (UPPO) responsibilities, church callings, and community engagements.

Treasurer

Elina Fred, who goes by Fred, comes to us from Kosrae. Before moving to Utah, she previously lived in Washington, Texas, and Oklahoma after finishing her undergraduate studies at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Outside her profession as an accountant, Fred works closely with the Kosraean community to advance their integration into the larger Pacific Island community and the State of Utah.

Communication Director

Kathy Joel Matthew comes to us from Pohnpei. She is of Mokiloan/Pingelapese ethnicity. She considers Utah her home away from home since she’s been in Utah since high school. Besides being a wife and mother to a toddler and couple teenagers, she is heavily involved with her church and communities. She is also a robust young women leader in the Pingelapese/Pohnpeian and Marshallese communities.

Education Outreach Coordinator

Susan Alik was born and raised in the Marshall Islands. With her children, she had lived and worked in Guam since 2007. Recently moved to Utah in 2017, Susan has been involved with the Utah Marshallese Community, the United Micronesian Women, Pik2ar, GHS Council, the churches in leadership involvement, and other NGOs pertaining to Women and Children.

Besides her employment with Granger High School, Granite District, as a Parent/Community Outreach Coordinator, she continues to serve the parents and the community, respectively, of the Pacific Islands ethnicity. In her spare time, Susan likes to read, garden, and do crafts.

UMW’s Artist / Creator of UMW’s Logo

Ricky is a Mokiloan/Pingelapese contemporary artist that lives in Payson, Utah with his beautiful wife and 4 very talented children.