Kā‘eo was named vice president of Community Engagement and Resources in April 2015. His group oversees KS resources in nine regions statewide, including more than 360,000 acres of agricultural and conservation lands, community resource centers, and sustainability initiatives. Prior to being named VP, Kā‘eo served as KS’ senior director for its West Hawaiʻi Region, West Hawaiʻi director of Strategic Initiatives, and led regional transition efforts for KS in West Hawaiʻi. He hails from the ahupua‘a of Holualoa, Kona, on Hawai‘i island and holds a Bachelor of Science of Engineering in civil engineering from Princeton University, and a Master of Science and doctorate in environmental engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pauline J. Sheldon is Professor Emerita, University of Hawai’i, School of Travel Industry Management where she also served as Dean. She holds a PhD in Economics, an MBA, and a BS in Mathematics. Her research areas include sustainable and regenerative tourism, social entrepreneurship in tourism, knowledge management, and wellness tourism. She has published seven books, and over 70 research articles. Her most recent books are Social Entrepreneurship and Tourism with Daniele, and Tourism Information Technology with Benckendorff and Xiang. She is the recipient of the UNWTO Ulysses prize, the TTRA Lifetime Achievement Award, and Hannes Werthner IFITT Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first woman President of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, and also co-founded TRINET and the Tourism Education Futures Initiative (TEFI). Pauline is a regular keynote speaker at tourism conferences around the world. She has consulted with World Bank, APEC, and UNWTO. She teaches with the Art of Living Foundation.

Randy is a retired business executive, middle school teacher, and Department of Education administrator. He remains active in a variety of community organizations. Born and raised in Honolulu, Moore graduated from Punahou School, Swarthmore College and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He completed his post-baccalaureate training at Chaminade University and was licensed to teach secondary mathematics in Hawaiʻi’s public schools. After two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in a public administration project in Liberia, Moore returned home to begin a 35-year business career that included executive positions with Castle and Cooke, Molokaʻi Ranch, and Kāneʻohe Ranch. Retiring from Kāneʻohe Ranch, Moore taught mathematics for three years at Central Middle School next to downtown Honolulu, then transferred to the Department of Education’s state office to assist for 15 months with the implementation of Act 51—the 2004 Legislature’s Reinventing Education Act. He spent his final 6½ years at DOE as assistant superintendent for school facilities and support services.

Prior to joining HEMIC, Todd Nacapuy most recently served in the public sector, as Chief Information Officer in the State of Hawai’i’s Office of Enterprise Technology Services. Appointed by Governor David Ige, Todd led the state’s technology team, putting systems and resources in place for a more effective, efficient and open government. He developed statewide initiatives to leverage economies of scale and reduce waste, including implementing a “paperless” environment and accelerating the State’s move to a single communications platform to provide long-term budget sustainability, fortified security, expanded applications and services, and tools for collaboration. Prior to serving with the State, Todd had a successful career as an entrepreneur, then joined Microsoft as Senior Technical Account Manager tasked with the mission to “modernize Hawai’i”. Todd is a graduate of Seattle University and Waialua High School.

As Vice President for Research and Innovation of the University of Hawai‘i System, Vassilis L. Syrmos is charged with providing critical leadership and coordination of systemwide research and innovation efforts, including management and direction of UH’s research support, technology transfer and many compliance functions. Dr. Syrmos has previously served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. In that capacity, he has worked on a range of projects including developing major research facilities such as the Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE Hale), the state’s only laboratory to be rated LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum. Since 1991, he has been with the department of electrical engineering at UH Mānoa, where he is a professor. He has also served as the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering. He spent a sabbatical leave at The Boeing Company as a research fellow. Dr. Syrmos is the author/coauthor of more than 100 journal and conference papers and the book Optimal Control, 2nd edition, John Wiley, 1995. He was an associate editor of Circuits, Systems and Signal Processing.

Ulalia Woodside is the executive director of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, whose mission is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all depends.  In Hawai’i, they do this through a network of 14 Hawai‘i preserves, partners with other public and private landowners to protect the state’s key watershed forests, and works in over 20 coastal communities where they collaborate to protect the nearshore reefs and fisheries of the main Hawaiian Islands. Ulalia also oversees management of the Palmyra Atoll nature preserve and research station 1,000 miles south of Hawai‘i. Prior to coming to the Conservancy in 2016, Ulalia served as director of natural and cultural resources at Kamehameha Schools, where she was responsible for a portfolio of 200,000 acres of agricultural and conservation lands. She is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i political science and Hawaiian studies programs and completed her graduate coursework at the University of Hawai‘i School of Urban and Regional Planning. Ulalia carries on her family’s genealogical hula tradition as a Kumu Hula, having completed formal ʻuniki, or graduation rites under the direction of her maternal relatives.

Audrey Newman
Aulani Wilhelm
Amanda Ellis
Deanna Spooner
Jacqueline Kozak Thiel
June Matsumoto
Kirsten Baumgaurt Turner
Mark Fox
Matt Kamakani Lynch
Mike Hamnett
Piia Aarma
Pono Shim
Rai Saint Chu
Russell Kokubun
Scott Enright
Scott Seu
Sharon Moriwaki
William Aila