I approach this work with humility and a commitment to supporting Kānaka Maoli leadership, ʻāina-based knowledge, and community stewardship. My responsibility, as I see it, is to confront the systems that extract from our islands and to fight for policies that ensure our keiki inherit a livable, resilient Hawai‘i.

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I think that strengthening Hawai‘i’s resilience means transforming our food and energy systems to prioritize community well-being over profit. I have worked to grow regenerative agriculture and restorative aquaculture, supporting farmers, fishponds, and local producers who are rebuilding a food system rooted in abundance, cultural practice, and climate adaptation. Protecting agricultural lands from speculative development — including opposing offensive ventures like the gondola project — is essential to safeguarding both our food supply and our rural communities.

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Climate readiness also demands that we prepare for the realities already at our doorstep: sea level rise, wildfire risk, storms, drought, and extreme heat. I support comprehensive disaster resilience planning and investments that strengthen early warning systems, community shelters, transportation corridors, and emergency communications — especially for rural and coastal communities who are most vulnerable to climate-driven events. Preparing for climate impacts is not optional; it is part of building a future our keiki deserve. Over the past three years, I have been working diligently with the Hawai'i Hazards Awareness and Resilience Program (HHARP) and a dedicated team of community volunteers to make our community more resilient.

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Caring for Hawai‘i also means confronting the pollution and waste systems that threaten our health and ʻāina. I am working on the EEP Committee to improve deposit-return systems (DRS), expand extended producer responsibility (EPR), and reform landfill management so that responsibility for waste is placed on corporations — not on our communities. Cesspool conversion remains one of our most urgent environmental and public health challenges; I continue to push for transparent timelines, increased funding, and solutions that do not financially devastate working families.

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Across all of this work, I am committed to accelerating our transition to clean, affordable energy by modernizing the grid, expanding access to renewable power, and ensuring that savings reach consumers — not just utilities. Meeting our climate goals requires honesty, transparency, and the courage to resist pressure from powerful industries that profit from the status quo.

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Finally, a resilient Hawai‘i must also cultivate climate-literate citizens. I am proud to have championed the Climate Literacy Seal, expanded place-based climate education, and supported programs that teach keiki aloha ʻāina, cultural practice, and the ecological intelligence needed to steward Hawai‘i long into the future. Our children deserve not only a livable planet, but the knowledge and skills to care for it.

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Building a Hawai‘i our keiki deserve requires addressing climate change, food security, land use, energy affordability, and disaster preparedness as interconnected challenges. Hawai‘i’s resilience depends on our willingness to care for ʻāina with integrity — and to hold accountable the systems that threaten it.