Mahalo palena ʻole, Marti!
Marti Townsend has been the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi’s fearless leader since 2015. It is with heartfelt sadness and deep admiration that we announce she is stepping down as our Chapter Director in October.
It is impossible to put into words just how much we appreciate all she has done for Hawaiʻi’s people and environment and for the Club - and just how much we will miss her - but we tried!
“Marti has been uncompromising in defense of environmental justice. She empowered the grassroots. She mobilized the community in unprecedented ways. In so doing, she made the Sierra Club a force that bureaucrats, politicians, developers and the media could not ignore.”
“Marti is the best kind of leader — always listening and learning, not forcing people to do things her way. She is quick with a laugh and makes people, especially volunteers, feel comfortable. She doesn’t panic (well almost never). She considers options where most people have only one idea. You almost always walk away from her feeling like you’re doing something useful. I will miss her very much.”
“Huge mahalos to Marti for her smile, her wisdom, and her unflagging efforts...even while raising kids during a pandemic. She’s an inspiration!”
“Aloha Marti, thank you for your service, courage, and leadership with your time at the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi. I am excited to see where your path leads you next.”
“What an amazing journey over these past 5 years! I remember the first public meetings Marti held at Moanalua Middle School to organize the Red Hill campaign. She recognized the risk to Oʻahu and mobilized the community to protect the irreplaceable aquifer carved into the foundations of the island over eons of time. Stopping the U.S. Navy is a mammoth undertaking. Her strategy of public meetings, getting the Neighborhood Boards and City Council on-board, and a contested case hearing for the permit were brilliant! With the true magnitude of the risks in the public record, the Health Department has no choice but to deny the permit. And there are so many other campaigns going on at the same time. How she managed expanding Papahānaumokuākea National Monument, protecting the conservation district at the summit of Mauna Kea, fighting for East Maui stream flow to be restored, while giving testimony on hundreds of bills at the legislature is a testament to her aloha ʻāina — love of the land! Marti - mahalo for your energy, commitment, and passion to protect the things that make our island home unique and special. We are sad to see you leave and will never be the same without you. But we are comforted you’ll still be on the front lines in our community fighting on the side of good trouble! Good luck and aloha ʻāina! ”
“Mahalo nui loa, Marti, for your undeniable strength in leading the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi. I’ve always been so impressed by how intelligently you tackle each mountain of a cause, you make it seem so effortless. You’ll always be someone I admire! I’m going to miss your hilarious, cool approach to our meetings. Mālama pono to you and your ʻohana! Me ke aloha!”
“Marti manages an uncanny mix of upbeat-ness and cynicism that makes her a remarkable community organizer. Through her years with KAHEA, the Outdoor Circle, and then Sierra Club, she’s been the best at fomenting unrest by making it feel fun, supported, and like we’re producing actual change. I support whatever helps her keep on keeping on. Best wishes on her sabbatical.”
“In helping support the complex, contentious, and sometimes risky political committee endorsement work, Marti brought her unmatched combination of clarity of mind, fierceness of conviction, strategic brillance and respect for volunteer work. We couldn’t ask for a better leader.”
“Marti is a true mana wahine! She is a powerful example of how pono leadership and advocacy can bring about positive change for our communities and inspire others to care. ”
“Marti is a true superhero—fearless, calculated, and compassionate, with a big side of wit of course. From standing up to the US Navy time and time again, to navigating every corner of the legislature, to never hesitating to help out communities and partners in need, she’s never backed down. The bigger the undertaking, the better in Marti’s eyes—and that undoubtedly shows in the legacy of her directorship. It would take hours and an entire Mālama for me to share even a fraction of Marti’s accomplishments and the unforgettable moments we’ve shared together but we can all rest assured that the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi is a much stronger organization and Hawaiʻi has a brighter future because of her tireless work. While I may still be in denial that Marti’s time with the Club is coming to an end, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities she has provided me, the incredible amount of knowledge she has shared, and the strength and bravery she has instilled in me. Marti has been the best boss ledeh and friend that one could ask for. Marti, I know whatever the future holds for you, you will do it with the enthusiasm of Leslie Knope, the finesse of Donna Meagle and the steadfastness of Ron Swanson. Onwards and upwards and the best of luck—love you to the moon and back!”
“If I could encompass all that Marti has taught me in the past two (far too short!) months that I’ve had the privilege of working with her into two words, it would be compassionate resilience. Her tenacity, wit, grit, and passion for climate justice bring a whole new dimension and dynamic to our work and journey in this movement. We will miss her dearly as our boss lady, but Marti’s vast impact has left too big of a monumental mark such that she will absolutely not be forgotten! I appreciate her leadership and just her existence-as-a-whole immensely and wish her the best rehabilitative, radical rest she so richly deserves.”
“Marti is one heck of a leader and mentor. She is gracious with her time and deep knowledge, and her wicked sense of humor makes our steepest uphill battles a joy ride. That’s talent. She has given so much of herself to the environmental justice movement; I truly feel she has blazed a trail for each of us to carry her legacy of courageousness, inclusivity, and organizing that empowers others to see the best within themselves. Working alongside her has been a transformative blessing and this is a hard goodbye so I will hold onto the sound of her laugh and huge smile telling me everything is going to be okay. But also, I will keep her to the promise that she will be around in other ways. And since she has been a beacon of unconditional support for us, I wholeheartedly am happy for her transition and I can’t wait to see what comes next. My vote is on a comedy tour because, quite frankly, more people need to experience Marti in their life. She is a one-of-a-kind mana wahine radical mama. I love you, Marti! (for the people in the back)”
“I just really can’t wait to see Marti’s stand up comedy act! Thank you so much for everything you have done for us and the Club - it has been a pleasure learning from you. I appreciate your passion, your take-down-the-man life philosophy, and your willingness to support and help people grow. Thank you for being there for all of us during the pandemic, and any hard time really, and leading our team with compassion, grace, understanding, and kindness. Selfishly, I’m sad to see Marti leave, but I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next (like I said, very excited for the stand up comedy and expecting front row seats). Lots of love!”
“Marti is the kind of boss that a lot of people dream of having but never actually get to experience: someone who deeply cares about her staff’s well-being and actively works to create a workplace environment in which everyone feels supported. And because we’re so supported, we thrive and grow as individuals and as activists. It’s hard to lose a leader like Marti, but she’s taught us all the tools we need to step up to help fill the gap; that is just one small part of the amazing legacy she leaves behind. Marti deserves a huge MAHALO for everything she has accomplished for the SC of Hawai’i Chapter and for the blood, sweat, and tears (literally) that she has shed to protect these islands and their people. I will miss her very, very much, but I’m also so excited for her next chapter (no pun intended...or maybe it was...). Miss you already!”
“Marti Townsend is a phenomenon of our time — a true force of nature, someone who has unquestionably played a leading role in shaping, for the better, the playing field of environmental advocacy that we know today. I am so grateful to have gotten to know Marti more and more over the years. I remember being a distant law student admirer of her clear passion for social justice, and soon thereafter of her seemingly tireless refusal to stand down in the face of a billion dollar multinational development project, with the entire weight of Hawai’i’s political machine behind it — with just a shoestring budget and the love of our islands on her side. I remember the sense of optimism and potential I felt when I first heard of her taking on the role of Sierra Club director, and I remember feeling both gratitude and relief to later stand shoulder to shoulder with her in the halls of the pre-COVID capitol, taking notes on how to best throw a wrench in the gears of one of Hawaiʻi’s most powerful and ashamedly abusive corporate machines. Her bravery and successes against all the odds - with her brilliance, charm, passion, and innate sense of justice as the foundation of her work — has been and continues to be a huge inspiration to not just me, but to so many people throughout Hawaiʻi, and for this I am also grateful. What Marti has already been able to do gives all of us who care deeply for this place — who mourn the priceless and beloved spaces and places we have already lost, who see the power of those who have eroded and who will continue to chip away at the very things that make Hawaiʻi special — hope. Hope that the fight is one worth fighting, and that the fight is one we can win. And for this, on top of her substantive accomplishments and contributions, we — the Sierra Club, Hawaiʻi’s communities, even the individuals who we run up against, but who still call Hawaiʻi home — owe Marti a huge debt of gratitude. To try to follow in her footsteps is daunting to say the least, but my apprehension at carrying forward her work is tempered knowing that we stand on ground that she has tilled, with staff she has mentored, with volunteers she has inspired, and that she will continue to be a force for our environment, for justice, and for the protection of these islands and its people no matter where she chooses to go. Thank you Marti for all that you do, for all that you’ve done,and for the honor and privilege to call you my friend. Aloha nui, and a hui hou!”
We will miss you so much, Marti!
Visit often, and don’t forget about us when you hit the big time : )
