Maui Economic Opportunity will be undergoing a leadership transition in
2026 with Debbie Cabebe retiring as the seventh chief executive in the
61-year-old Maui County nonprofit’s history and Maggie Clark Batangan
succeeding her as the eighth leader beginning Aug. 1.
Cabebe ends her 26 years at MEO on July 31, the last nine years as CEO of
one of the county’s largest nonprofit agencies with more than 270 team
members throughout Maui County, more than 30 diverse programs and an annual
budget currently exceeding $64 million.
She rose through the ranks after joining MEO in 2000 as Human Resources
Manager and became Chief Operating Officer in 2011. She succeeded Lyn
McNeff in 2017.
During her tenure as CEO, Cabebe has led the agency through the COVID-19
and 2023 wildfires crises, quickly standing up programs such as Hawaii
Emergency Laulima Partnership (HELP) and Maui Disaster Recovery National
Dislocated Workers Grant, the Maui Relief TANF Program and the Maui Fires
Relief Fund at the behest of state and county governments and private
foundations to distribute funds and other resources to desperate Maui
County residents.
She also led the effort to bring MEO’s Youth Services program to Moloka`i.
Kaohi offers in-school and after-school suicide, bullying, drug, alcohol
and smoking prevention programs to middle and high schoolers while offering
leadership, community service and cultural activities.
In her earlier years, Cabebe brought her HR experience from the private
sector and led MEO’s transition to modern business and employment
practices. She instituted formal hiring processes with job descriptions and
separation protocols, wrote anti-discrimination and other 21st Century
labor policies, and employed stricter budgeting and fiscal procedures.
Debbie Cabebe, Maui Economic Opportunity CEO, will be retiring at the end of July. She has worked at MEO for 26 years, the last 9 years as CEO.
Cabebe has been actively involved in the community and taken leadership
roles with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Maui County
Council on Aging, Maui Economic Recovery Commission and Maui Nonprofit
Directors Association to name a few.
She also has been honored as a Pacific Business News Woman Who Mean
Business Honoree (2019), Maui Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year
(2019), Pacific Business News Hawaii’s Most Admired Leaders Honoree (2023)
and SHRM Volunteer Service Award (2025).
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve MEO for the past 26 years,”
said Cabebe. “I am deeply grateful to those who established the foundation
for our success, as well as to our dedicated staff, board, volunteers,
funders and partners whose collective commitment strengthens our impact.
“I am also pleased that the board has selected Maggie as my successor. She
is thoughtful, capable, and exceptionally talented, and I am confident she
will lead MEO with vision and integrity in the years ahead.”
Batangan joined MEO as Chief Administrative Officer in January 2021 and
will be Executive Director during the transition through Cabebe’s
retirement. As Chief Administrative Officer, she supervised the Human
Resources Department and focused on contract compliance, talent and change
management, organizational and performance management, training and
development, hiring and compensation.
Maggie Batangan will be MEO’s eighth CEO in the agency’s 61 year history. She officially will become CEO on Aug. 1.
She joins MEO after holding various positions in the Maui County
administration and County Council, including as Deputy County Clerk and
legislative and budget analyst. Before joining MEO, Batangan was a part of
the Department of Management staff.
During her years with the county, Batangan managed personnel and contracts,
oversaw elections, served as a communications liaison and drafted and
implemented policy. She also has worked with local and international
nonprofit organizations in Hawai`i, Washington, D.C., and Ohio.
Batangan holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on
public management and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies with a
specialization in political communication, both from Ohio University.
“I’m immensely grateful to Debbie for her mentorship and many contributions
to MEO,” Batangan said. “She has spent 26 years strengthening the core
operations of the organization and her impact will be timeless. The Maui
County community has benefited greatly from her leadership, knowledge, and
commitment to the core values of community action.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be a steward of MEO’s enduring role as a
strong community partner. It is a great privilege and responsibility to
ensure we continue to effectively meet the needs of our community. I thank
the Board of Directors and MEO staff for their support, and I look forward
to starting this journey alongside an outstanding team.”
The MEO Board of Directors approved the succession plan last year.
“The MEO Board of Directors applauds the stellar work and outstanding
leadership of Debbie throughout her 26 dedicated years,” said Board
President Carol Reimann. “Her tenure will likely be best remembered for her
dedication and leadership during COVID-19 and the 2023 wildfires. Her hard
work brought much needed relief quickly to those in need and fortified
MEO’s reputation as an important place in the community for residents in
need.”
“Maggie is cut from the same mold with a caring heart and eagerness to help
struggling Maui County residents succeed. She has the board’s confidence.
MEO is in good hands.”
With Batangan, MEO will have had only eight chief executives since its
incorporation in March 1965 as a Community Action Agency, one of more than
a thousand entities organized across the nation to battle poverty. The list
of executive directors include Jonesie Medeiros, Joe Souki, Paul Pladera,
Gladys Baisa, Sandy Baz, Lyn McNeff, Cabebe and Batangan.
MEO has grown from two programs in 1965, which included the Head Start
preschool program, to more than 30 today. These include Maui Bus
paratransit; Head Start preschool; small business planning courses and
grants; middle and high school drug, bullying and suicide prevention; and
rent and utility assistance and support for recently released inmates.
For more information about MEO and its programs, call (808) 249-2990.