Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian has served East Hawaii nonprofits for over twenty years. In 2005, she unknowingly joined the board of Bay Clinic immediately after it was discovered that the executive director was possibly using funds for personal use. After assessing the situation and knowing what Bay Clinic offers the community, Tanya did not shy away. In fact, she served as board chair twice over the next ten years to ensure this healthcare safety net stayed in compliance with federal regulations and worked to increase her and the boardʻs understanding of their fiscal and regulatory requirements. Other highlights of service include being the Arc of Hiloʻs first marketing director; CEO of Volcano Art Center, Operations Manager of Ke Ola Magazine, and business manager at Hawaii Island Adult Care from 2014 to 2024, ensuring communication and safety during the pandemic for CNAs and activity leaders, kupuna and caregivers in East Hawaii during a most challenging time for care workers, kupuna and family caregivers.
Tanyaʻs healthcare experience affords her the unique 360 degree perspective of seeing our stateʻs health care system as a consumer of services, a provider of health services including Medicaid and Medicare reimbursed services, as an insurance payor, having also worked for AlohaCare, from a governance perspective serving on the board of Bay Clinic from 2005-2014 and from a fiscal, governance and provider perspective, serving as Hawaii Island Adult Careʻs business manager for the last ten years.
In Spring 2019, Tanya partnered with friend and co-singer/songwriter Sherri Thal to work with students from Kua O Ka La school, who lost their campus in the 2018 lava flow. Tanya and Sherri facilitated the writing of The Aina That Was Once Our Home, an original song written over eight weeks in an hour-long class session each week. This is just one example of how much Tanya cares for the arts, for healing, for our keiki and for our future.
In 2023, Tanya released episodes of Ola Ka Moku, a podcast about Hawaii Island, which she plans to continue. Sparked by her love of Ke Ola Magazine and the sadness felt when owner Barbara Garcia and she made the tough decision to close Ke Ola, Tanya wanted to continue bringing Hawaii Islandʻs people and their impact on our day to day lives to life.
Tanya is a grandmother, mother and parent, daughter, partner, neighbor and friend. Tanya believes that a personʻs health is a product of their environment: access to a quality education, safe and healthy home, meaningful employment, transportation, physical activity and nutrition, in addition to a healthy environment and quality healthcare is our collective responsibility.
One personʻs well-being and health status in our community is a reflection of who we are and how well we are doing in service to each other.