The KIRC Team

Overview

The Legislature created the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) to manage the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve while it is held in trust for a future Native Hawaiian sovereign entity. KIRC uses federal funds designated for State responsibilities in the restoration effort and is administratively attached to the State Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Chapter 6K sets forth the composition of KIRC. One member is selected by the Governor from lists submitted by Native Hawaiian organizations, one member is a representative of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, one member is the Chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, one member is a representative of the County of Maui, one member is a member of Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, and two members are selected by the Governor from a list submitted by Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. The Chair of KIRC is selected from among the members by the Governor.

KIRC also maintains staff to support the restoration and management of the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve.

Team Directory

Click any photo below to jump to that team member’s biography.

Commissioners

Ryan Kanakaʻole

Department of Land and Natural Resources, Acting Chairperson
Term expires December 31, 2026

Mr. Kanakaʻole is a veteran government attorney with over 15 years of experience, bringing an extensive background in Native Hawaiian law and land stewardship to the Commission. Before his appointment as DLNR’s First Deputy and subsequent elevation to Acting Chair, he served as a Deputy Attorney General representing various state agencies, including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority. His work also included legal counsel for the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation, along with service supporting audits across state departments and participation in the Public Land Trust Working Group.

His career reflects a deep commitment to the protection and restoration of Hawaiʻi's natural and cultural heritage—a passion rooted in his upbringing in Waiʻōhinu, Kaʻū, on Hawaiʻi Island. In his role with the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission, he applies his legal expertise and leadership to support the restoration of Kahoʻolawe and the management of its resources in trust for a future Native Hawaiian sovereign entity.

He earned his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, with a focus on Native Hawaiian law, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama.

Benton Kealiʻikiamoku Pang

Native Hawaiian Organization (Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs)
Term expires June 30, 2028

Benton Kealiʻikiamoku Pang serves as KIRC’s Native Hawaiian organization representative. He is a graduate of the botany department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and earned both his master’s and Ph.D. under former KIRC commissioner Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott.

His doctoral dissertation studied the dry forests of Kaʻūpūlehu, North Kona, Hawaiʻi, and his master’s research focused on Hawaiian kapa fibers. Though born in California, his genealogy is rooted in Lāhainā, Maui (Akiona/Pang ʻohana).

Kealiʻi is currently the pelekikena (president) of Ke One O Kākuhihewa, the Oʻahu Council for the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, representing 23 clubs on Oʻahu. His first experience on Kahoʻolawe was in 1995 as part of the working group that drafted the first Restoration Plan. From 1997 to 1999, he served as natural resource manager for Parsons UXB during the Navy UXO cleanup project. He is currently a supervisory biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and resides in Pālolo, Oʻahu.

Keoni Souza

Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Term expires June 30, 2027

Keoni Souza serves as KIRC’s Office of Hawaiian Affairs representative. He is Trustee-at-Large for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee for Cultural Protocol and Practices.

With a background in music, real estate, and community service, Keoni brings a unique blend of experience to his role. As a musician and founder of Nā Hoa, he has achieved national recognition, including a performance at Carnegie Hall and a GRAMMY nomination, while contributing significantly to the preservation of Hawaiian music and culture.

Saumalu Maatafa

County of Maui
Term expires June 30, 2027

Saumalu Maatafa works in the County of Maui Department of Management and is the County’s representative on KIRC. Before joining the commission, he worked as an analyst for the Maui County Council on housing-related topics and with the State Legislature on policies related to food sustainability, technology, and infrastructure systems.

Born in Honolulu and raised in Lāhainā, Saumalu graduated from Lahainaluna High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics and a master’s degree in Human Factors and Systems from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has also worked with the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA.

Michelle Mikiʻala Pescaia

Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana
Term expires June 30, 2025

Mikiʻala Pescaia was raised on Molokaʻi and graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Language from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Prior to her current position as Interpretive Park Ranger at Kalaupapa National Historical Park, she held several education and cultural resource positions on Molokaʻi and in the broader Hawaiian community.

Jensen Kalamalaʻikiʻekiʻeokalani Chock

Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana
Term expires June 30, 2029

Kalama Chock has volunteered for Kanaloa-Kahoʻolawe for 26 years in many roles, including student volunteer, ʻohana kua leader, teacher, cultural practitioner, and parent raising keiki in aloha ʻāina.

His deep commitment to Kahoʻolawe inspired the children’s book Restoring the Dry Forest of Kahoʻolawe / E Ola ka Nahele Wāiʻāea o Kahoʻolawe, published by Kamehameha Schools Publishing.

Faith Kahale Saito

Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana
Term expires June 30, 2027

Faith Kahale Saito was born and raised in Honolulu on Oʻahu. She first connected with Kanaloa-Kahoʻolawe in 2002 through the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and later served as Cultural Resources Project Manager for KIRC from 2009 to 2012.

She now serves her community as the Native Hawaiian Counselor at Honolulu Community College and continues to maintain her pilina with Kanaloa-Kahoʻolawe through PKO and the annual Ipu a Kāne Rain Ceremony.

Executive

Michael Nahoʻopiʻi

Executive Director

Mike has been involved with Kahoʻolawe from virtually every perspective in its recent history. A longtime Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana member and former U.S. Navy Officer-in-Charge of Kahoʻolawe during conveyance of the island to the State of Hawaiʻi, he was also a senior manager during both the early Model Cleanup and the later Navy UXO clearance project.

Born in Honolulu, Nahoʻopiʻi graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1982, received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, and later earned an MBA in accounting from Chaminade University. He is certified as both a Quality Manager and Quality Engineer and also holds the Project Management Professional designation.

Staff

Leiokekoʻolani Brown

Cultural Resources Program Coordinator

Leiokekoʻolani Brown is a Kamehameha Schools graduate with over a decade of experience in heritage and biocultural resource management. She holds a BA in Anthropology (Hawaiian Archaeology) and advanced training in Heritage Management (MA), supporting KIRC’s mission to protect, restore, and culturally steward Kahoʻolawe.

Her work is grounded in Indigenous knowledge, landscape-scale stewardship, and collaboration with cultural practitioners. Based on Hawaiʻi Island, Lei continues her generational kuleana in Waipiʻo Valley and is an active hula ʻolapa with Hālau o Kekuhi.

Dean Tokishi

Ocean Resources Specialist III

Growing up on Maui, Dean graduated from Maui High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He worked on Kahoʻolawe during the ordnance removal project and joined KIRC in 2003 to monitor, manage, and protect marine resources.

Caroline Sabharwal

Ocean Resource Specialist II

Caroline earned her BA in Biology from Denison University in 2015 and later moved to Maui to study marine science and conservation. Her work has included marine turtle response, reef conservation support, and coral reef modeling. She joined KIRC in 2022 and contributes to restoration at the intersection of culture, ecology, and community.

Christina Wine

Logistics Specialist

Christina grew up in Waiehu, studied marine science, and built a career around working on or near the ocean. Her background includes environmental internships, outdoor education, vessel maintenance, shellfish farming, and marine operations. She is pleased to contribute to KIRC’s mission in her home waters.

Paul Higashino

Natural Resources Specialist V

Paul holds a BS in Tropical Agriculture from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and has been with KIRC since 1996. As Restoration Manager, he is responsible for biological management on Kahoʻolawe, including planting, erosion control, faunal restoration, and planning restoration activities.

Kaleʻa Paiva

Natural Resources Specialist III

Kaleʻa was born and raised on Maui and graduated from Ke Kula Kaiapuni O Kekaulike in 2018. She earned a BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2024 and joined KIRC in 2025. Her work is rooted in aloha and kiaʻi ʻāina.

Jamie Bruch

Natural Resources Specialist III

Jamie earned a dual BA/BS from The Evergreen State College in 1995, focusing on Environmental Science. He has worked in forest bird recovery, invasive species management, predator control, and ecological restoration, and joined KIRC in 2003.

Lopaka White

Operations Manager

Raised on Maui, Lopaka first came to Kahoʻolawe through the Kamaliʻi program of Hawaiian Canoe Club. He later worked on the UXO cleanup project and now serves KIRC through operations, maintenance, vessel work, and access support, helping lead volunteers in restoration efforts.

Grant Thompson

KIR Specialist III

Grant joined KIRC in 2008 and brings a wide range of field and vessel experience, including service in the South African Army and boat-based marine response work. At KIRC he has supported vessel operations, transport logistics, and environmental restoration efforts.

Ross Kamimoto

Volunteer Coordinator

Ross grew up in central Washington, holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, and is pursuing a master’s degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management. With years of experience in Maui conservation work, he is dedicated to wildlife research and habitat restoration.

Ashley Razo

Public Information Specialist

Ashley earned a BS in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago and spent years working in private sector consulting, media, sales, and event management before transitioning into agriculture and conservation work on Maui. Her first access to Kahoʻolawe in 2021 deeply shaped her commitment to restoration and public education.

Matthew Hatakeyama

Administrative Officer

Matt came to KIRC after a 20-year career in travel and hospitality. Raised in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island, he graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, earned a BS in Marketing from Portland State University, and later completed an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Carmela Noneza

GIS/LAN Specialist

Carmela Noneza is a cultural practitioner and geospatial technology specialist with over 30 years of experience in GIS, cultural resource documentation, and environmental restoration in Hawaiʻi. She manages geospatial and information systems that support restoration and resource stewardship on Kahoʻolawe.

Before joining KIRC in 2005, Carmela worked as a Land Survey Supervisor during the 10-year unexploded ordnance cleanup project on Kahoʻolawe. A graduate of Maui High School, she is also a retired veteran of the United States Army and Hawaiʻi Air National Guard, where she served as a Ground Radio Communications Technician. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Land Surveying and Geomatics.

Janeece Beauchamp

Administrative Specialist III

Born and raised on Maui, Janeece studied business management and communications at the former Maui Community College. Before joining KIRC, she worked in business, hospitality, and cultural positions and has also volunteered in community and youth activities.

Terri Gavagan

Commission Coordinator

Terri is KIRC’s full-time staff member overseeing the KIRC archives. She has a BA and an MA in Anthropology, and her responsibilities include continuing archive organization and documentation, including database, scanning, and records support.