co-organizer

Debbie moved from Ashland, Oregon to Maui in 2007 to co-found ROOTS school. She holds a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from Southern Oregon University. She has taught K-3 for over 23 years. The last few years, she has focused on working for her family’s excavation and construction company, Benton Management, Inc. In 2022 she returned full time to her passion for teaching Kindergarten! She enjoys hiking, running, surfing, traveling and volunteering in schools and for causes that help the community and island of Maui.

co-organizer

Linda Lafragiola (Linda La) has been a resident of Maui since 2007. In 2014, she closed the doors to her construction management business and moved from Marin/Sonoma California to make Maui her full-time home. Now retired, she keeps herself busy and involved by paddling in outrigger canoes, training for long distance breast cancer walks, volunteering for local charities and traveling.

co-organizer

Linda Ruegsegger (Linda R) recently moved full time to Maui with her husband Pete and two children (and our dog Riley) during the summer of 2021. She was born, raised and lived in the Chicago area for 50 years and is absolutely thrilled to be in Maui now! Her career in the financial services spanned almost 30 years, where she held various roles in both private and institutional investment management. She attended Northern Illinois University and Northwestern University and has earned the CFA designation, and served on several boards during her career. A key area of philanthropic focus is on education advancement, and one of her passions is to vastly improve the financial literacy of our youth.

Since moving to Maui, her focus as been on discovering the new chapters that lie ahead, and focusing on her family. She is thrilled to take on a more active role with the 100 Women Who Care - Maui.