Our Team

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jennifer Chirico is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) at the University of Hawaii-Maui College.  As the Executive Director, she develops and directs SLIM programs and projects, including non-credit certification training programs in various areas of sustainability.  She is involved in a wide range of community outreach activities related to increasing understanding of sustainability and how it can be adopted and implemented at both organizational and individual levels.  She works with individuals and organizations from the public, private, educational, and non-profit sectors and presents to a variety of audiences on a wide range of sustainability-related topics. She has a PhD in environmental policy and holds a master’s degree in public health with a major in environmental health. Her research expertise is in air quality, green building, transportation, sustainable waste management, and renewable energy.

SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Sarah Mumma is the coordinator for SLIM’s sustainable education programs at Maui College.  She is in the sustainable sciences program at UHMC.  Her background is in electrical engineering, computer science, and construction.  At SLIM, she leads the on-going activities and provides site coordination for the SLIM training programs and works on outreach activities.  In her free time, Sarah enjoys ocean activities and building green furniture.

EVENTS COORDINATOR

Mel Hipolito is the events and logistics coordinator for SLIM.  Mel has extensive experience in managing events.  He grew up on Maui and worked for Maui Pineapple Company for over 30 years until the company closed in 2009.  At Maui Pineapple Company, Mel was a Mainentance Manager and the Logistics Chairperson for many of the festivals.  After the closure of the plant, Mel decided to go back to school to complete his bachelor’s degree.  He is currently in the sustainable sciences program at UHMC.  In Mel’s free time, he is active in the UHMC Canoe Club and the student government.

GARDEN AND AGRICULTURE COORDINATOR

Laura Burkhart interns with SLIM as the school garden coordinator.  She is currently working with several community organizations to design a community garden and learning center on the UHMC campus.  Laura has a strong background in the natural food industry and has received a Certificate of Completion through the Maui Culinary Academy.  She is currently an agriculture major and focusing on natural and organic methods of producing food in Hawaii.  She also served for four years in the U.S. Coast Guard as an administrative assistant and human resources representative.  Durning her time, she received many awards for community service including the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.  In her spare time, Laura enjoys playing music, running, and snorkeling.

VISITING SCHOLAR

Greg Farley is an Associate Professor of Biological Science at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, MD, where he teaches courses in biology, botany, zoology, and science literacy.  An aggressive advocate for environmental causes and changes on campus since his hiring in 2003, he currently serves as co-chair of the College’s sustainability steering committee.  Among other duties, this committee is tasked with reducing Chesapeake College’s carbon footprint and energy use; instilling changes in campus culture that lead to more sustainable attitudes and practices on campus; and establishing the College as a regional leader and role model for sustainability on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. At SLIM, Greg is working on developing curriculum for sustainable training programs, developing domestic and international internship opportunities in sustainability, and helping to create a sustainable business program.

SLIM TRAINING PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS

John Bendon is a leader in Hawaii in the field of green building and energy efficiency.  John was the LEED Accredited Professional who managed Maui’s first commercial LEED New Construction project, inspected and tested all of Maui’s certified LEED for Homes projects, and has worked on LEED EBOM and LEED ND projects in Hawaii.  John has taught classes on most of the Hawaii Islands on green building and energy efficiency including classes at the UH Maui College.  Many of the classes that John has taught have never been taught in the State before. John Bendon is a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty in LEED Homes.  He is also Certified Energy Rater under RESNET, a Building Performance Institute Analyst, holds masters in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado.  To learn more about John and his company Green Building LLC, please visit www.GreenBuildingHawaii.com

Scott Cooney is the Principal of GreenBusinessOwner.com, author of Build a Green Small Business (McGraw-Hill), and most recently, developer of GBO Hawai’i, the sustainable economic development board game.  Scott has been helping aspiring entrepreneurs enter the green economy for four years and has served as sustainability advisor, trainer and consultant to a half dozen Fortune 500 companies.  Scott’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond his professional life: he drives a biodiesel car, has an organic lanai garden, and is an avid cyclist and vegetarian cook.

Lyman Morikawa has been working with solar energy since the early 1990s.  He has experience in residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional power and lighting system design for power generation and distribution, motors and controls, renewable energy and solar photovoltaic systems. He has experience in electrical contracting, residential, industrial, and commercial maintenance including installation and repairs of motors and drives, power distribution equipment, raceway and wiring, and fire alarm and energy management systems. As the manager of Morikawa and Associates, LLC, Mr. Morikawa is involved with preparation of electrical design plans and specifications for custom residences and development projects, single and multi-family dwellings, commercial and office buildings, warehouses, medical facilities, churches, recreational facilities, and industrial plants.  His renewable solar energy project has ranged from 3 KW to 2.8 MW systems.  Lyman is a Licensed Professional Enginneer and holds a B.S. in electrical engineering and a MBA.

Phyllis Robinson is the owner of a consulting firm on Maui called Courageous Crossings and the co-owner of a Maui-based business: Creative Conflict Solutions. As a professional trainer for VITEC, Phyllis teaches emotional intelligence and communication skills, and specializes in transformational leadership.  Her doctorate in International Education utilized adult learning principles which makes her teaching style highly interactive, bringing out the best in her students and making learning relevant for her students’ lives. Phyllis has been a lecturer at Maui College UH in Social Sciences having taught a special topics course called the Science and Politics of Climate Change, is the Deputy Chair of the Maui County Board of Water Supply, and served on the Maui Clean Energy Alliance Working Group 2.  She has published numerous journal articles and is the co-editor of newly released book called Integrative Learning and Action: A Call for Wholeness.

Stuart Zinner is the Maui College Renewable Energy Coordinator and an instructor in the STEM department teaching classes in Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology, Information and Computer Science, and Mathematics, including classes in Photovoltaic Design and Installation, and Computer Networking. He has received training in Photovoltaic Design and Installation from Solar Energy International and is approved by NABCEP to offer PV classes.

SLIM STEERING COMMITTEE

Megan Claire is a green real estate agent specializing in Luxury Residential and Investment properties in the South Maui area. Additionally, she is raising the awareness of “Green Real Estate” here on Maui. Meghan is Maui’s First Female Eco Broker, and an integral educational resource regarding Green Building, networking with Local Green Vendors, and organizing green building seminars on island. She can benefit Sellers, by promoting the cost-saving benefits of a property’s green features in order to set listings apart from the competition. Meghan can assist Buyers in finding a home that is healthier to occupy, less expensive to operate, and potentially more valuable in a future re-sale situation based upon the home’s energy efficiency.

Lucienne De Naie is an author, researcher, journalist and grantwriter and former county council candidate who lives in east Maui. She served three years on the county’s General Plan Advisory Committee and many other county advisory groups. She is currently Vice-Chair of the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter.

Alex de Roode currently serves as the Sustainability Manager for Portland Community College.  In this capacity, he is involved in multi-campus management of sustainability initiatives.  Alex is a graduate of Seabury Hall and obtained his B.A. in International Affairs and Economics from the University of Colorado.  He holds a Master of Science degree in Bioresource Engineering from McGill University.  Alex is a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty in operations & maintenance.  Alex served as the first Executive Director of the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) from 2007-2010.  In this capacity, he was involved in developing and implementing a wide range of sustainability training programs in fields such as renewable energy, energy management and green building.  Alex was also actively involved in community outreach activities dedicated to increasing people’s and organizations’ understanding of sustainability, including serving as Chair of the Maui County Energy Alliance Green Workforce Development & Education Working Group and serving as Producer of Ho‘okele Wa‘a: Turning the Canoe, an award winning documentary film on sustainability within a Maui context.  Alex is a staunch proponent of biomimicry (using models in nature as a basis for sustainable design), as well as an advocate for recognizing the value of indigenous and traditional practices to help inform sustainable development.

Yarrow Flower works in the Community Development Division of Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc (ML&P).  She is originally from rural Northern California, Yarrow Flower graduated from Humboldt State University with a BA in Sociology. Yarrow moved to Maui in 2001 and started her career with ML&P in 2004. Yarrow’s responsibilities in the Community Development Division of ML&P include all aspects of project management including land entitlement, design, permitting & construction management. Additionally, Yarrow enjoys volunteering as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui and as a member of the Cost of Government Commission for the County of Maui. Yarrow lives in Makawao with her husband. She enjoys traveling, gardening, reading and hiking.

Lehn Huff is recently retired from 30 years as a teacher and administrator at Seabury Hall.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a master’s degree in Chinese History and Anthropology.  In addition, she received a master’s degree at UCLA in Education-Curriculum and Instruction and continued to work towards her doctorate while also serving for a short period of time as a Clinical Consultant at UCLA’s Teacher Training Institution and a Research Associate for the Center for History Education that eventually set the national standards for the teaching of World History and American History. Ms. Huff has visited educational institutions in China as part of her Fulbright Grant and other educational facilities in Guam, Micronesia, and the Dominican Republic.  As a member of the World Futures Society Ms. Huff served on a panel on Women and Sustainability in 2006.   In 2010 she served for six months as the Interim Executive Director for the UHMC SLIM program and is presenting serving on the Word Force and Education Group of the Maui County Energy Alliance, the Steering Committee of the UHMC Sustainable Living Institute of Maui, the Upcountry Sustainability Group, and as the coordinator of the Maui School Garden Network.

Dr. Ivo Martinac is Chair Professor and Head of the Division of Building Services Engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden. Originally a mechanical engineer, he has over 25 years’ experience in the area of indoor climate control, energy efficiency in the built environment, sustainable building design-development-operation, as well resource-efficient community and urban development. Over the last 10 years he has also been extensively involved in issues related to sustainable tourism development, with special focus on resource-efficient hotel-/resort development and operation. Parallel to his academic engagements in the domain of sustainable development, he is keenly devoted to pursuing the goals of sustainable development in close collaboration with industry and business. To that end, he was responsible during 2002-2005 for the international business development at KTH, during which time he initiated and managed the establishment of a number of joint centers for research and technology transfer in China, in collaboration between KTH and a number of leading Chinese universities. During 2005-2006, he served as Director of the Environmental Leadership in Tourism Program at the School of Travel Industry Management, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. Since 2007, he is back at his Alma Mater, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). He recently established and is currently managing the Sino-Swedish Sustainable Building Alliance, a public-private partnership aimed at collaborative research and technology transfer between Sweden and China in the domains of high-performing buildings and sustainable urban/community development. He holds Visiting Professor appointments at South East University (Nanjing), Northwestern Polytechnical University (Xi’an), and the Shandong Art and Design University (Jinan), PR China.

Johnathon McKee is the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at Maui College.

Kuhea Paracuellas is the Outreach and Internship Coordinator at Haleakala National Park.  She is also the host for the “Kuhea Show” webcast series, president of the board of directors for Community Work Day, a board member for Maui Nui Botanical Garden, and associate producer of Kung Foo the Movie.  She has also developed education and outreach programs, such as KPOA 93.5 FM’s Mālama Maui Nui radio program, for the general public to better understand topics related to invasive species, solid waste management, wastewater issues, native ecosystems and species, and much more. One of her proudest accomplishments is co-founding the Roi Round-up Invasive Species Spearfishing Tournament. Kūhea Paracuelles is a graduate of Leilehua High School and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Family Resources in 1989.

Clyde Sakamoto, Chancellor, UH Maui College

Janet Six has lived on Maui since migrating from Northern California in 1978. She attended UH Maui Community College, graduating with an AA in Liberal Arts in 1995. In 1998 she received her BA in Anthropology and Classical Civilizations from New York University. She holds two Masters Degrees in Historical Archaeology, from Columbia University (2000) and the University of Pennsylvania (2003). In 2010,l Janet received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation research focused on industrial sugar plantations in Hawai`i – in particular the effects of hydrological despotism the diversions of traditional waterways on the cultural and natural landscape.

Amber Starr is the General Manager at Hana Ranch. She embraces a deep rooted admiration for nature, and a respect for animals, large and small. Born and raised in Makawao, Maui, Amber grew up amongst the rolling pastures of nearby ranches with the bellows of cattle in the distance.  This upbringing nurtured an appreciation for nature and ranching from an early age.  After graduating from Colorado State University’s College of Natural Resources with a Bachelors of Science, Amber returned home to Upcountry, Maui.  She spent several years teaching horseback riding and working as a private land use consultant before going to work as a Planner for the County of Maui.  In 2005 Amber began working for Hana Ranch, a working cattle ranch in Hana, Maui.  As General Manager of Hana Ranch, Amber oversees all aspects of operations.  She takes most pride in her crew and their achievements, “We work hard to produce beautiful, healthy animals, all the while giving back to and caring for the land; what a wonderful thing.”

Warren Watanabe, Executive Director of the Maui County Farm Bureau. was born and raised on a family farm in Kula and graduated from Maui High School. A few years after graduating from UH Manoa with a degree in horticultural sciences, he took over the operation of the family farm.  The farm has evolved over the past 70 years growing vegetables as well as flowers for lei heads.  As a third generation farmer, he now grows produce and edible flowers for hotels and restaurants, marketed under the label of Kolours of Kula and distributed by Local Island Fresh Edibles. Warren has held various positions in the Farm Bureau, most recently serving as President of the Maui County Farm Bureau for 13 years.  He has also served on the Maui County Board of Water Supply and the Maui Produce Processing Cooperative.  His  vast experience in agriculture serves him well, representing the industry on committees including Advisory Committees on the Maui  General Plan, Kahului Harbor Master Plan, Young Brothers, Superferry, Maui County Tourism Strategic Plan and Focus Maui Nui.  He also represents the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation on the Hawaii Drought Council and chairs the Ag in the Classroom committee.