Gov. David Ige announced his five nominees to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, three of whom are currently serving on the panel.
>> At-large representative Wesley “Kaiwi” Yoon, who has served on the board since 2019, is vice president of operations, planning and project management at Bishop Museum and previously worked for the Department of Land and Natural Resources from 2015 to 2018, according to a news release. He also served two terms on the Legacy Land Conservation Commission from 2007 to 2014. Yoon is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
>> Doreen Canto has represented Maui on the Land Board on an interim basis since July. A Native Hawaiian, she served as Maui commissioner for the Hawaiian Homelands Commission from 2014 to 2017 and chaired the Maui Police Commission from 2005 to 2010. A Baldwin High School graduate, Canto has an associate degree from the University of Phoenix and works at medical cannabis licensee Maui Grown Therapies.
>> Aimee Keli‘i Barnes has represented Oahu on the Land Board on an interim basis since January and is the principal of Hua Nani Partners, a small woman-owned consulting firm that provides policy and strategic advice to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, focusing on climate change, the release said. 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.
>> Karen Ono, nominated to represent the Garden Isle, served as chief executive for the Kauai Board of Realtors from 1979 until December and also was involved in the Chamber of Commerce, the Kauai Business Council and the Rice Street Business Association. She holds an associate degree from Kauai Community College.
>> Riley Smith, nominated to represent Hawaii island, has been president and chief executive officer at Lanihau Properties LLC since 2013 after holding leadership roles with the company since 2009. He previously led construction of the submarine fiber-optic network connecting the five major Hawaiian Islands and has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Na Ala Hele Advisory Council. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Smith has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration from UH.
All five nominees are subject to state Senate confirmation. The BLNR has seven members: one from each district and two at-large members. The board meets twice a month to act on departmental submittals, including land leases and conservation district applications.
