LeAnn Auerbach
Raised in more than ten states across the U.S. and completing her high school years in Germany, LeAnn developed a deep appreciation for diverse cultures, traditions, and historical narratives. These formative experiences shaped her respect for place, heritage, and the stories that connect communities across generations. After high school, LeAnn moved to Hawaiʻi, where she met her husband, a lifelong Oʻahu resident whose family roots in the Islands extend back nearly two centuries. Through her marriage and life in Hawaiʻi, she has cultivated a profound respect for the Islands’ unique history, architectural legacy, and cultural traditions.
LeAnn later earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Portland State University, strengthening her research, communication, and interpretive skills—assets she values in historical and educational settings. Alongside her husband, she has bought, renovated, and restored properties along the West Coast, gaining hands-on experience in thoughtful preservation, adaptive reuse, and design. Each project deepened her understanding of architectural integrity, craftsmanship, and the responsibility inherent in stewarding historic structures.
Her life journey has fostered a sincere passion for history, art, architecture, and cultural preservation. LeAnn is especially drawn to spaces that tell enduring stories—places where community, faith, and heritage intersect. She is committed to honoring the past while supporting sustainable stewardship for future generations.
Betsy Deniston
Elizabeth (Betsy) Bond Deniston, born on Maui and raised on O’ahu. Cooke, Rice, Judd and Bond descendant. Attended Hanahau’oli School from kindergarten through 6th grade, then Hawai’i School for Girls from 7th – 12th grade. Attended UH Hilo and Kapi’olani Community College. Moved to California in 1986 and worked for Pacific Gas and Electric in various roles including Executive Assistant, Rate Case Coordinator, and Analyst. Returned to Hawai’i in 2023 and resides in Kona. Currently a volunteer/docent at Hulihe’e Palace and at the Hawai’i Food Basket. Member of the Daughters of Hawai’i and an Alternate Trustee on the Cooke Family Foundation board.
Peter Montague Stoddard
Peter is a 4th generation descendant of Amos Starr Cooke and Juliette Montague Cooke. His mother was the second child of Richard A. Cooke and Dagmar S. Cooke. His mother and father moved to Massachusetts just a few miles from where Juliette Montague was born and raised. Having visited Hawaii numerous times, Peter fell in love with all its charm and moved to Oahu in 1982. He started his own midsize distribution company and ran it until 2013 when he sold it and retired.
Peter has an MBA as well as experience in teaching business at the college level. His expertise is Finance and he has served as Treasurer for both Mid-Pacific Country Club and the Wailana at Waikiki condominium complex since 2016.
For over thirty years Peter had to make his own business decisions, and his independent thinking as well as financial expertise will be helpful to the Hawaiian Mission houses.