UH Foundation promotes four senior leaders

Karla Zarate-Ramirez is promoted to Vice President for Development, responsible for UHFʻs major gifts program and oversees UHFʻs major gifts team of fundraising professionals who raise money for the UH colleges and units. Zarate-Ramirez works closely with UH leadership to identify funding priorities that align with donors’ passions and personally raises private support to help advance UH strategic goals. She joined UHF in 2016 as executive director of development and was promoted in 2019 to associate vice president, major gifts. She previously worked at the American Friends Service Committee Headquarters in Philadelphia, where she was director of campaign and leadership gifts. Zarate-Ramirez earned her master’s in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. She also holds a Certified Fundraising Executive credential.

Maile Au is promoted to Associate Vice President of Alumni & Community Engagement overseeing alumni relations, annual giving and special events. In this elevated role, she is responsible for developing a comprehensive alumni engagement, annual giving and special events program with the goal of building increased philanthropic engagement in support of UH. She will also be expanding outreach and strategic engagement activities to alumni around the globe; prospective, current, and graduating students; parents and the broader community. Au had been senior executive director of alumni relations since 2019. She joined UHF in 2008 as director of alumni engagement. Au is an alumna of the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business, where she earned her master of business administration degree. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

Allison Ohanian is promoted to Associate Vice President, Gift Planning & Donor Development. In this role, she is responsible for directing all aspects of UHF’s Office of Estate and Gift Planning, scholarship development, and donor relations programs. Ohanian joined UHF in 2021 as senior executive director of estate and gift planning. Before joining the UHF team, she was the senior director of planned giving and estates at San Diego State University.  Prior to that she served as planned giving specialist at California State University, Long Beach. Ohanian is a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG). She earned a master of public administration from California State University, Long Beach, and her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of San Diego.

Darian Padilla is promoted to Director of Development, UH West O‘ahu and Leeward Community College. In addition to leading fundraising for these two campuses, Darian also supervises the Associate Director of Development, UH Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing and Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health. Darian joined UHF in 2022 as Associate Director of Development at UH West O‘ahu. The Wahiawā native previously served as Director of Admission for Sacred Hearts Academy. Prior to that she was Director of Admissions at Saint Louis School and earlier in her career served as Director of Admissions for Saint Francis School. Darian earned her master of business administration and bachelor of science at Chaminade University. She served on education-related boards including Study Hawai‘i and Chaminade University’s alumni council. She also volunteers with Ronald McDonald House and has mentored youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters.