Vicky Cayetano

In 1988, she helped to start United Laundry Company to service hotels and hospitals, eventually becoming president and CEO.

After marrying Ben Cayetano, she continued to operate the laundry company, but spent less time on it. Her daily schedule was distributed to her employees and she was available if needed. The evening hours were devoted to her family, giving individual time to her teenage children.^[3]

In 1999, she participated in the Honolulu Habitat for Humanity's Women Build.^[4] She was named 1999 Woman of Distinction by Hawaii's Girl Scouts for her work in motivating young women.^[5]

In 2001, she proposed turning Washington Place into a museum telling the story of Lili‘uokalani.^[6] Toward that end, she created the Washington Place Foundation to raise funds to build a new residence for the state's governor.^[7] The new residence, constructed directly behind Washington Place, was finished in time for the new governor Linda Lingle.^[8]

After her tenure as first lady, Cayetano continued to oversee United Laundry Services. She was named Sales Person of the Year for 2011 by Sales & Marketing Executives International, Honolulu Chapter.^[9]

In 2018, the 30th anniversary of United Laundry Services, Cayetano was honored with the Pacific Business News "Women Who Mean Business" Career Achievement Award.^[10] The following year, the University of Hawaii's School of Travel Industry Management presented Cayetano with the 2019 Legacy in Tourism Award.^[11]

Cayetano also volunteers on the board of directors for the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra.^[11]

On August 30, 2021, Cayetano announced her candidacy for the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election to succeed term-limited governor David Ige.^[1] On August 13, 2022, Cayetano lost the primary to Josh Green, 63%-21%.

In 2023, the Hawaii State Campaign Spending Commission fined Cayetano $1,000, finding evidence of inappropriate coordination between her campaign and a super PAC to launch negative ads against her opponent Josh Green.^[12]

Cayetano first married a financial consultant in California and had two children. The family later moved to Hawaii. She divorced her first husband in 1992.^[13][14]

Ben Cayetano was the sitting governor of Hawaii, with three grown children with his first wife, Lorraine Cayetano. They were separated for five years, then divorced in 1996 after 37 years of marriage.^[14] Cayetano and Tiu met while both were working out at the Honolulu Club fitness center.^[14] They were married one-and-a-half years later in the governor's official residence on May 5, 1997.^[15][14]