Gov. David Ige has nominated a Hawai‘i Island engineer, a Kauai real estate leader, a cultural museum vice president, a climate change small business owner, and an active Maui volunteer to serve on the state Board of Land and Natural Resources. All five nominations are subject to Senate confirmation.
The Board of Land and Natural Resources has seven members: one from each district and two at-large members. The board chairperson is also the executive head of the DLNR. The board meets twice each month to act on departmental submittals, including land leases and Conservation District Applications.
More information on Governor Ige’s nominees can be found below:
Riley Smith is nominated to represent Hawai‘i Island. He has been president and chief executive officer at Lanihau Properties, LLC, since January 2013. He’s been in leadership roles with the company since 2009. Previously, he led the construction of the submarine fiber optic network which connects the five major Hawaiian Islands. He has an extensive work history dating back to 1976 and has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Na Ala Hele Advisory Council. Smith is a Kamehameha Schools graduate, and has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hawai‘i.
Wesley “Kaiwi” Yoon has served on the Land Board since 2019 and is being nominated for a second term, as an at-large representative. His current term ends on June 30, 2022. Yoon is vice president of operations, planning, and project management at Bishop Museum. Previously he worked at the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources from 2015-2018 and served two terms on the Legacy Land Conservation Commission from 2007-2014. He is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
Doreen Canto has represented Maui on the Land Board on an interim basis since July 2021. A native Hawaiian, she has served on numerous community organization and government advisory boards. She served as the Maui commissioner for the Hawaiian Homelands Commission from 2014-2017 and was chairperson of the Maui Police Commission from 2005-2010. Canto is a Baldwin High School graduate and has an associate degree from the University of Phoenix. She currently works at Maui Grown Therapies.
Karen Ono was the long-time association executive for the Kaua‘i Board of REALTORS until last year, serving as the organizations chief executive from April 1979-December 2021. She was a government affairs committee member for the association from January 2018-December 2021 and served as the representative for the Chamber of Commerce, the Kaua‘i Business Council and the Rice Street Business Association. She holds an associate degree from Kaua‘i Community College and was nominated by Gov. Ige to represent the garden island.
Aimee Keli‘i Barnes has represented the City and County of Honolulu on the Land Board on an interim basis since January 2022. She is the principal of Hua Nani Partners, a small woman-owned consulting firm that provides policy and strategic advice to non-profit and philanthropic organizations, focusing on climate change. She has worked on environmental issues for 20 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree in environmental science and policy from Columbia University.
