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Our Story

Sustʻāinable Molokai was established in 2010 in the wake of the breakdown of master land-use conversations between the community and the developers of Molokai Ranch. At the time, activists, including our co-founder Malia Akutagawa and our board president Matt Yamashita, were looking for alternatives to Laʻau Point development.

This experience profoundly impacted the community — some were for the proposed land trust, and some were against it. The one thing that could be agreed upon was that we needed to be drivers of our destiny as a community to shape growth that aligns with our cultural values.

This is the reason and purpose for Sustʻāinable Molokai, which was dreamed up in conversations between co-founders Malia Akutagawa and Harmonee Williams. We offer our mahalo to everyone who has contributed their energy and vision to create our organization. We are proud to work to ensure that our community's voices and mana’o are incorporated into collective decisions about the future of our island.

Our Board

Matt Yamashita
Matt Yamashita
President
Barbara Kalipi
Barbara Kalipi
Vice President
Audrey Lynne Newman
Audrey Lynne Newman
Treasurer
Karen Kamalu Poepoe
Karen Kamalu Poepoe
Secretary
Marshall Joy
Marshall Joy
Member-At-Large
Lokelani Han
Lokelani Han
Member-At-Large
Lehua Greenwell
Lehua Greenwell
Member-At-Large
Eric Co
Eric Co
Member-At-Large
Malia Akutagawa
Malia Akutagawa
Emeritus