New coordinator for Hawaii climate commission announced

Leah Laramee, who has been serving as interim coordinator for the State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, has officially taken on the coordinator role.

Laramee took on the coordinator position Monday, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a news release today.

“I am honored to be joining the Climate Commission as coordinator. I intend to continue my support of the Commissionʻs mission to promote ambitious, climate-neutral, culturally responsive strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in a manner that is clean, equitable, and resilient,” Laramee said in a statement.

She had been interim coordinator for five months, during which the DLNR said she collaborated with the University of Hawaii to produce a guidance document on the White House’s Justice40 Initiative, which invests in disadvantaged communities overburdened by pollution, and helped move a state law this year that established the Hawaii Carbon Smart Land Management Assistance Pilot Program that provides incentives for carbon sequestration activities.

Prior to that role, Laramee was a natural resource planner with the DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

“The Commission is thrilled to have Leah as the new coordinator. Her diverse experience in planning, policy, and climate change action in Hawaiʻi will drive her success in this role. We look forward to seeing how Leah furthers the Commission’s mission and priority projects,” said Suzanne Case, co-chair of the climate commission and chair of the DLNR, in a statement.

Laramee holds a master’s degree in natural resources and environmental management at UH Manoa. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations with a minor in political science.