Board of Directors

Stuart Takehara, President & Chairman of the Board

Stuart has had an extensive career in sales, marketing and entrepreneurship and is one of the Founders of One Step Away.  Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Board and Executive Director.

Stuart has worked for some of the largest entertainment companies including Palace Entertainment, Hustler Casino, West Wind and the Syufy Family and many more.  He got his start in the radio broadcasting industry when he was just 15 years old and pivoted into sales and marketing after being part of the number one radio morning show in Sacramento.

Stuart is a life-long Californian, having grown up in Sacramento and living briefly in the San Francisco Bay Area until moving to Southern California in 2010.

Stuart also volunteered for StandUp For Kids Orange County, a non-profit organization focusing on homeless youth.

Debra Kahookele, Vice President

Deb is a residential real estate agent and has been working with many non-profits for several years in the Long Beach, California area and is one of the Founders of One Step Away.

She currently serves on multiple boards including President of the Promenade Area Residents Association (PARA), Current committee member and Past Co-Chair of the Harvey Milk Park selection committee.  She also previously served on the executive board for the Long Beach Pride Organization.

She has also been part of Long Beach Day Nursery Board of Directors – 2nd Vice Chair, LB Rotary as Vice President, AREAA – Asian Real Estate Association of America, Founding Board Director/Treasurer and Operations Management Association (OMA) Vice President.

Deb’s experience with the community gave her a deep appreciation on how non-profits improve the quality of life for all ages.

Tonya Martin, Director

Forever a proud public servant, Tonya was raised just outside of Birmingham, Alabama during the Civil Rights Uprise.

She moved to the Los Angeles area in the late 1990’s and furthered her education at Los Angeles Valley College and Diversity University to acquire her BA in Marketing. 

She has volunteered and worked throughout the City of Long Beach and Los Angeles County’s civic sector, as well as nationwide and globally in areas inclusive to the empowerment of the community.

Tonya’s many accomplishments include her service to the Long Beach Pride in which
see was recently elected as the President.

She has also served tirelessly for the Long Beach Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade and celebration, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Leadership Long Beach, New York Equality, Long Beach Dias de la Muertos Parade.

She is the founder of Long Beach Festival Gay Latino and uniTy.

Whenever anyone asks Mrs. Martin, “how do you do all that you do?” She always
replies, “It’s not what I do, it’s what is being done through me”.