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She joins Liliʻuokalani Trust from from the Casey Family Programs where she was a Strategic Consultant. She worked for Casey Family Programs since 1995 in a number of roles throughout her tenure. She was the lead in Hawaii, Montana and North Dakota, dedicated to reducing the numbers of children in the child welfare system through innovative practice, focus on data and supporting strategic efforts in these states. Chiemi has been an advocate in addressing the disproportionate representation of children of color in the system. She is committed to best practices that will prevent children from entering the system and ensuring that children can find permanency and well-being.

Chiemi started her career in community development and healthcare in 1978 as a child development specialist for Multnomah County Community Health Department. After receiving her Master’s degree in social work from Portland State University in 1989, she began work as a social worker on the Family Birth Unit of Emanuel Hospital and Health Center where she worked with pregnant and post-partum women and their newborns and within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

In 1991 she became the Clinical Coordinator for Project Network a grant-funded substance abuse treatment program for pregnant and postpartum women and their children, where she developed programming and grants to serve this population.

In 1995 Chiemi began work at Casey Family Programs in the Portland Division where she served as the Social Work Supervisor and subsequently as Division Director in 1998. It was in Portland that she was instrumental in the development of Neighborhood Foster Care; a collaboration with the State of Oregon to tailor foster care services for children and families in their neighborhoods with the focus on kinship and sibling care.

In 2000 she took a leave from the Portland Division to lead the strategic planning process for the organization where she eventually was offered the position of Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Advocacy.

In 2005 she became the Managing Director for the Technical Assistance Unit which focused on methodologies, strategic planning and working with states to improve outcomes for children and families.
 
She has worked alongside many families, community advocates and professionals to address the issues of disproportionate representation of children of color in the child welfare, health and education systems. Chiemi’s passion and dedication stem from her perspective as an adopted child and her commitment to making a valuable contribution and difference to children, families, and communities.