Life on Lānaʻi

Lisa has called Lānaʻi, Hawai‘i home for nearly 20 years and shares her aloha through advocacy, public service, volunteerism, and mentorship.

She currently serves on:

• Lāna‘i Planning Commission

• Executive Board Member, Hawai‘i Land Trust (former Board Chair)

• Certified substitute teacher and mentor to middle and high school students on real-world polling projects

• Trained in FEMA Incident Command and helped launch Lāna‘i’s first Red Cross-sanctioned emergency pet shelter.  Helped found the Lānaʻi High & Elementary School Foundation.

Her work in Hawai‘i has included:

• Healthcare Research: Statewide surveys on access, quality, and keiki mental health
  📎 State of Healthcare in Hawai‘i

• Economic Stress & Homelessness: Public polling that sparked statewide conversations
  📎 Star-Advertiser Coverage
  📎 Hawaii News Now

• Education: Research for Hawai‘i State Teachers Association on school funding and teacher shortages

• Grant writing: Helped secure millions for local nonprofits for programs including  Hawaiian language summer immersion programs and elder home care services

• Polling for Leaders: Pollster for Governor David Ige, Senator Brian Schatz, and EMILY’s List IEs supporting Sen. Mazie Hirono and others

• Tourism & Branding: Survey work for Turtle Bay Resort and renewable energy companies shaping Hawai‘i’s sustainable future

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Responding to Crisis: Maui Wildfires

When fires devastated Lahaina on August 8, 2023, Lisa jumped in to help. As communications lead and later Interim Director of Maui United Way, she:

• Oversaw delivery of $15 million in direct relief.

• Led the CEO search and elevated internal staff into leadership roles.

• Guided donor engagement from individuals to foundations and corporations.

 

Simultaneously, Grove Insight led a landmark research project surveying over 1,100 fire survivors on their economic, health, and housing needs. The findings, widely described as “a story of despair,” were presented in national media and submitted into congressional testimony by Rep. Jill Tokuda.📎 View the Report

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