What’s the first job that taught you real responsibility?
A few years out of college, I was given the opportunity to stand up a new management office in West Hawai‘i for the Natural Area Reserve (NARS) program at DLNR. The NARS program is the tip of the spear for ecosystem and watershed protection in Hawai‘i, responsible for stewarding natural areas to keep them unmodified as possible.
The remote nature of this work requires field teams to take a helicopter flight into forested areas throughout Hawai‘i to camp, work, and live during the week. Being responsible for the usual team dynamics with the unusual complexity of working in a remote and isolated environment was a tremendously demanding task as a young adult.
One day I’m an entry-level field technician with minimal responsibility and the next I’m managing an entire team responsible for tens of thousands of acres of Natural Area Reserves. It was a true trial by fire start to my career in land stewardship, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
What’s one skill you’re still actively working on to improve?
To be successful in our diverse and complex business environment, it requires collaboration and teamwork. I am consistently improving my ability to be a good team member—to connect and uplift colleagues, partners, neighbors and friends to achieve our shared goal of building and bettering our community.
How do you stay grounded as your responsibilities grow?
One of the best things about working for Parker Ranch is that at our core, we are an ‘āina-based business. When the work gets stressful, I can literally step out of my office and onto the expansive landscape of the Ranch. It reminds me of the history of this land, and reinforces a profound sense of appreciation for stewarding this place and improving the quality of life for the people that we serve.
What’s one thing you want to be known for outside of work?
At the end of the day, I hope people know me as a compassionate human with a deep commitment to stewarding our land in a way that benefits current and future generations.
What excites you most about the future?
What excites me the most about the future is the resurgence of interest to protect our natural resources for the betterment of the community. With a changing climate, increasing stressors on our land and native resources, invasive species, and a growing population, seeing more people becoming aware and implementing creative land management solutions brings me a tremendous amount of hope our community is collectively heading in the right direction.
