Environmental Review Program

Act 152, 07/02/21 establishes the Environmental Advisory Council. The Council serves as a liaison between the Director and the public on matters concerning ecology and environmental quality. The Council monitors the progress of state, county, and federal agencies in achieving the State’s environmental goals and policies and publishes its findings in its annual reports. The Council also conducts forums for various outreach activities.

Meetings

The Environmental Advisory Council meets according to Hawaii Administrative Rules 11-201 Environmental Advisory Council Rules of Practice and Procedure. Council meetings fall on the first Tuesday of every month and are open to the public. Agendas and meeting minutes – including those for the Rules, Exemption, Information/Outreach, Legislative, and Annual Report Committees – are archived here. Agendas are posted here approximately one week prior to the meeting to conform with sunshine requirements. Submissions for the Council’s consideration on an agenda item should be submitted before the day of the meeting so that Council members may have an opportunity to review them.

Contact the at Council at [email protected] or write to them at 235 South Beretania Street, Suite 702, Honolulu, HI 96813.

Members

The 15 Council members are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to assure a broad and balanced representation of educational, business, and environmentally pertinent disciplines and professions.

Puananionaona “Onaona” Thoene (Chair) Oʻahu Term expires 6/30/2024	Puananionaona P. Thoene was born on Oʻahu and raised in Hilo. She is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools, Kapālama Campus. Onaona received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law with certificates in environmental law and native Hawaiian law, and a B.B.A., cum laude, from the University of San Diego. Onaona is a fourth year associate at Carlsmith Ball LLP in the Honolulu office. Her practice focuses on real property, environmental, business and corporate law, land use, and administrative law. She is also a member of the Oʻahu Island Advisory Council for the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust.
Mary Begier (Vice Chair) Hawaiʻi Term expires 6/30/2022	Mary Begier is principal broker and owner of Mary Begier Realty, with offices both on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. She is a past president of both the Hawai‘i Island Realtors (HIR) and Honolulu Board of Realtors and has 36 years of experience selling real estate across the Hawaiian Islands. She represented HIR on the Big Island Business Council, where she served as president from 2002-2003. She is also a past president of the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay for 2008-09 and the Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce 2009-2010. Begier served in the United States Navy, going to schools in Florida and California before being assigned to Honolulu. She served 8 years on The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts including one year as chair and has represented Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce on the Big Island Housing Foundation board. Begier prides herself in building coalitions between other business and community organizations to strengthen the ability to accomplish smart goals in the community. This brought about recognition from DLNR/HISC as Community Hero for work performed eradicating invasive weeds on Mauna Kea.
Roy Abe Oʻahu Term expires 6/30/2024	Roy is a life-long Hawai‘i resident who attended Kaimukī High School and received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from University of Hawai‘i. He has a Master’s of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a licensed civil engineer who has completed many challenging wastewater, water and infrastructure projects during a 35-year career as a consulting engineer specializing in sanitary engineering. Roy, who is a Vice President and Senior Project Manager at HDR, Inc., transitioned to part-time retired status in 2015. He continues to be actively involved in the Hawai‘i Water Environment Association, the local affiliate of the Water Environment Federation. Roy enjoys talking to anyone about sewers, sewage pump stations, sewage treatment plants and any other topic related to sewage. He is passionate about obtaining the most “bang-for-the-buck” from our precious pollution control dollars by making rational science-based decisions.
Stephanie Dunbar-Co Molokaʻi Term expires 6/30/2022	Steph Dunbar-Co works for The Nature Conservancy, Molokaʻi Program. As the East Slope Project Manager, Steph oversees activities in southeastern (Manaʻe) Molokaʻi where she lives, was raised, and is a fifth generation landowner. Steph received MS and PhD degrees in Botany from the University of Hawaiʻi, focusing on the evolution, ecology, and conservation of the native Hawaiian flora. Her education and background have aligned to focus her efforts on the conservation of native ecosystems, long-term fresh water supply, and sustainable agriculture. She lives with her husband and two young children on her family’s ranch in Kainalu, Molokaʻi.
Makaʻala Kaʻaumoana Kauaʻi Term expires 6/30/2023	Barbara “Maka‘ala” Ka‘aumoana was born in Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i in 1948. Educated throughout the Pacific and California, she pursued careers in both nursing and public school teaching before returning “home” in 1989. Always active in environmental education and conservation organizations and activities, she soon became involved in local projects supporting community management of cultural and environmental resources. In 1999 she was elected by the Hanalei community to head the newly formed Hanalei River Hui. Maka‘ala believes in community participation and transparent process and has continued to guide this organization through the founding of the nonprofit, Hanalei Watershed Hui, and the development and implementation of the Hanalei Watershed Action Plan, the Targeted Watershed Initiative project, the Hanalei Makai Watch Program, Hanalei Watershed Management Plan, and the Hanalei to Hā‘ena Disaster Resilience Plan. Maka‘ala and her husband, a native Hawaiian, live on the north shore of Kaua‘i, have a small banana farm, and enjoy fishing and family time.
Dawn Hegger-Nordblom Maui Term expires 6/30/2023	Dawn Hegger-Nordblom received her Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree with a focus in Community Planning from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and a BA degrees in Psychology and Social Behavior and BA in Environmental Analysis and Design from the University of California, Irvine  She worked for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands as the Senior Planner and ran Contested Cases, Enforcement Cases, and processed Conservation District Use Application permits with accompanying Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements. She worked for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, the Hawaii Community Development Authority, and the Hawaii Army National Guard as the National Environmental Policy Act Coordinator. She served on the Office of Planning’s, Marine and Coastal Zone Advocacy Council, Ke Kahu O Na Kumu Wai, and was a member of the West Maui Community Plan Advisory Committee. She started Ke Kai Planning LLC in 2017. Clients include federal, state, and county agencies, private sector firms, and include non-profit or community organizations in need of pro-bono services. Dawn and her husband live on Maui’s west side with two teenagers attending Lahainaluna High School. Dawn notes Hawaii’s natural resources need to be protected and preserved and also be able to face the challenge of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change.
I. Robin Kaye Lānaʻi Term expires 6/30/2024	In 1974, Robin and his wife moved to Lānaʻi to document a threatened lifestyle as the island was facing a transition from a pineapple plantation economy to resort development. As a result of that effort, he published a photographic documentary called Lanai Folks. Shortly thereafter, Robin began a career in the arts and nonprofit sectors, working for the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the California Arts Council, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. In 1992, he and a partner launched the management consulting firm of Dewey & Kaye, Inc. (DKI), which worked with nonprofit organizations, foundations and government agencies. Robin’s work with nonprofits involved board development, long range planning, and executive searches for foundation program staff and nonprofit executive directors. Robin was one of the original founders of the Lanai Limu Restoration Project, and currently serves as spokesperson for Friends of Lanaʻi. Robin recently co-created Lānaʻi Changes, a community development corporation dedicated to providing diversity in Lānaʻi’s economic future.
Theresita Kinnaman (No photo available) Kauaʻi Term expires 6/30/2024	Theresita’s interest and service for the Council is due to her upbringing, during territorial and plantation days, when the environment and natural resources were fresh, plentiful, clean, and life was simple, fun, honest and about how we cared for the island’s land, ocean, streams, natural resources and not deplete these life sustaining resources. Today, with development of once open lands and spaces, land-based activities are straining the environment and natural resources. Her involvement in community service has spanned 30 plus years advocating for community needs pertaining to environmental, archeology, and natural resources, among other concerns; all that our sense of place, and identity to hopefully recharge and preserve for future generations to a highly sustainable level.
Robert Parsons Maui Term expires 6/30/2022	Appointed in May 2015, Rob served 12 years as the Maui County Environmental Coordinator, a position first created by Mayor Alan Arakawa. He served as liaison to county, state, and federal agencies and many non-profit conservation organizations, including watershed partnerships and Maui Invasive Species Committee. He also served as the ad hoc sustainability liaison and is part of the Hawai‘i Green Growth Core and Measures Teams, supporting the goals of the Aloha+ Challenge. Rob is a well-known free-lance writer and environmental advocate, with over 180 articles published since 2007. He is a 40-year Hawai‘i resident, originally from the Midwest, as is his wife Heather. “I feel it is essential to learn as much as I can about issues that affect us all, and share that information so people can make informed decisions as part of establishing a future with the ability to sustain ourselves and the multitude of other living species with whom we share this fragile planet.” Rob also chairs the Environmental Council Annual Report Committee.
Vacant Oʻahu Term expires
Ronald Terry Hawaiʻi Term expires 6/30/2023	Ron Terry is a graduate of University of Hawai‘i Hilo and has a PhD from Louisiana State University. After five years as a professor of Geography at University of Hawai‘i Hilo, he started Geometrician Associates in 1992. He has worked solely or teamed with others to prepare nearly 500 environmental assessments, environmental impact statements, and biological reports for projects throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Clients include many federal, state and county agencies as well as private sector firms. He has served on three State boards and several non-profits. Married with two grown daughters, he also surfs, kayaks, travels, and plays senior softball.
Michael Tulang Hawaiʻi Term expires 6/30/2024	Mike entered the federal service in 1967 with U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resource Services, serving in a variety of responsibilities. He was a Watershed Planning Economist, District Conservationist, Resource Conservation, and Developer Coordinator for Maui County, Hawaiʻi County and the State of Hawaiʻi. He retired after 31 ½ years of federal service and accepted an executive position with the State Association of Conservation Districts for 7 years. He then went on to serve for 2 years as a councilman on the Hawaiʻi County Council, followed by 3 years of substitute teaching at his former elementary school. He has served his community as Director of the Boys and Girls Club and the Hawaiʻi Agricultural Cooperative, as a Board Member of HIWEDO, and as a Certified Trainer at Positive Coaching. His hobbies include fishing, hunting, cattle ranching, and singing.
N. Mahina Tuteur Oʻahu Term expires 6/30/2022	Mahina Tuteur is currently a Post-Juris Doctor Fellow at the Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law. Raised on the windward side of O‘ahu, she graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 2014 with certificates in Environmental and Native Hawaiian Law. She has worked on policy advocacy and natural resource management issues for various non-profit and government agencies, and has also worked in state and federal courts.

(808) 586-4185 • [email protected]
235 South Beretania Street, Suite 702 • Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813