Executive Committee
Our Executive Committee consists of seven elected Chapter leaders and four Group representatives. As needed, there may be up to two appointed volunteers to serve as secretary and treasurer. Additionally, each Group has its own Executive Committee. Elected leaders serve two-year terms.
Letani Peltier, Chair
Letani is from Heʻeia, Oʻahu. He is a proud graduate of Castle High School and holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Puget Sound, a master's degree in economics from Portland State University as well as a Juris Doctorate and Certificate in Native Hawaiian Law from the William S. Richardson School of Law. Letani is currently a public policy advocate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Growing up, Letani spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains, playing on the beaches, and fishing in the ocean. Through these experiences, he developed a deep appreciation for how blessed he is to call Hawaiʻi my home.
Laura Acasio, Interim Secretary
Laura Acasio has served the people of Hawai‘i as a former State Senator and public school teacher. She currently serves on the Hawaiʻi County Environmental Management Commission and is a member of numerous nonprofit boards, including the governing board for Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo Hawaiian Immersion Public Charter School and the Hui ʻOihana Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce. Many of the nonprofits she supports are grassroots organizations dedicated to making government more responsible, equitable, and effective. The Acasio ʻohana, which includes Laura’s husband Lynold and their two sons, is well known throughout Hawaiʻi Island for the countless volunteer hours they devote to community service, values-based civic engagement, and advocacy. In her spare time Laura enjoys surfing, dancing, and great conversations over a home-cooked meal.
Nara Takakawa, Treasurer, non-voting
Niruban Balachandran, Fundraising Chair
Niruban Balachandran is a passionate conservationist who has become an active voice in the fight for clean water throughout East Asia, Flint, Michigan, and Red Hill, Hawaiʻi. Serving in the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation for approximately two years, Niruban witnessed firsthand the Flint water crisis' devastating, life-altering impact on humanity-- one of the world's worst man-made disasters of the last 100 years. He also spent seven years serving in the World Bank, most recently in its Environment & Natural Resources Global Practice; he was based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since he was young, Niruban has been inspired by environmental champions such as Jane Goodall, E.O. Wilson, Wangari Maathai, David Suzuki, and Tetsu Nakamura. He earned his B.A. in psychology (honors) degree at Rutgers University and a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Niruban is also an impassioned writer and speaker. By serving in the Sierra Club of Hawai'ʻi, Niruban hopes to inspire others to mobilize philanthropic finance and take action to protect the ecosystems of the State of Hawaiʻi and our world.
Tiare Kaʻōlelopono, At-large
Tiare Ka’ōlelopono, a cultural leader and community advocate, brings over 20 years of experience in program management, curriculum development, and grassroots organizing. She recently served as Cultural Curriculum & Program Manager at Wisdom Circles Oceania, leading initiatives rooted in Hawaiian values. Tiare’s expertise in grant writing, nonprofit operations, and public policy fuels her passion for empowering communities through education and civic engagement. Her volunteer work with Waiheʻe Poi Farms and involvement with master kalo farmers through ʻOnipaʻa Nā Hui Kalo reflect her commitment to ʻāina stewardship and food sovereignty. She champions sustainable, inclusive policies grounded in mālama ʻāina and aloha ʻāina.
Aya Kimura,
At-large
Aya H. Kimura is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the University of Hawaiʻi Center on Sustainability Across the Curriculum. She has an MA in Environmental Studies (Yale) and Ph.D. in Sociology (University of Wisconsin-Madison). Her books include Radiation Brain Moms and Citizen Scientists: The Gender Politics of Food Contamination after Fukushima (Duke University Press: recipient of the Rachel Carson Book Award from the Society for Social Studies of Science) and Hidden Hunger: Gender and Politics of Smarter Foods (Cornell University Press: recipient of the Outstanding Scholarly Award from the Rural Sociological Society).
Nanea Lo, At-large
Nanea Lo is a Kanaka Maoli community organizer from Papakōlea, Oʻahu. With a background in community and urban planning, she is committed to aloha ʻāina, Hawaiian sovereignty, and uplifting Indigenous voices. She sits on the board of the Hawaiʻi Workers Center. Nanea also contributes to the grantmaking committee of Hawaiʻi People’s Fund and engages in local and international leadership programs. Through civic engagement, storytelling, and community organizing, she works to protect sacred places and build a future grounded in justice, ea, and deep connection to ʻāina.
Kaikea Nakachi, At-large
Born and raised on Hawaiʻi Island, Kaikea Nakachi completed his master’s at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo after graduating Magna Cum Laude from Florida Institute of Technology with a degree in Biological Oceanography. His thesis focused on his family’s practice of kahu manō and non-invasive photo-ID of tiger sharks. His passion for ocean stewardship is evident in his work with the Kaʻūpūlehu Marine Life Advisory Council, Hui Aloha Kīholo, and in the founding of Mālama Manō and Hui Kahuwai. He seeks to continue to aid Hawaiʻi and its biocultural resources however he can to continue his moʻokūʻauhau rooted in aloha.
Chuck Flaherty,
Hawaiʻi Island Group
Chuck Flaherty is a retired Certified Public Accountant. He moved to Kona in 1996 and studied Hawaiian healing with Margaret Machado, Mona Kahele, and others. He was a plaintiff in the Hokuliʻa litigation, which led to a Hawaiʻi Supreme Court finding that Hawaiʻi County has an "affirmative duty" to protect nearshore marine waters, and has been part of many other community actions to protect Hawaiʻi’s environmental and cultural resources.
Lucienne de Naie, Maui Group
Lucienne de Naie is a long time Club member who has served as Chair and Vice-chair of the Sierra Club of Hawai‘i Chapter Executive Committee. She is a researcher and writer whose passion is protection of native plants, streams, watersheds, and cultural sites.
Kiara Bacasen, Oʻahu Group
Kiara Bacasen is a lifelong advocate for the development of healthy, sustainable, and just relationships between humans and the natural systems we rely on. Her approach to this work is shaped by her experiences as a community organizer, formal education in sustainability science and design, and the wealth of wisdom regarding holistic sustainable systems being practiced right here in Hawai‘i and by indigenous communities across the world. While she retain interests in many interrelated fields, her current work as an on-call chef at Roots Cafe and on the sales and marketing team for the Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative allows her to focus on Hawaiʻi’s food systems, highlighting the importance of the relationships between people and with ‘āina while bringing in my own unique background to the solutions we put forth.
Kip Goodwin, Kauaʻi Group
Kip is a retired building contractor and sixteen year resident of Wailua Homesteads. Being on the Executive Committee has allowed Kip to act on urban sprawl, water justice, particularly the misappropriating diversion of Wai ʻale ʻale waters, militarization and the effects of climate disruption. He was an organizer for the sailboat Golden Rule's two week visit to Kauaʻi as it sails on a transpacific voyage to Hiroshima, Japan promoting a nuclear free future. Kip is the director of the youth outreach program 808truth2youth.org. Kauaʻi is a very special place that holds special promise. Kip wants to be part of fulfilling that promise.
In 2021, we lost a deeply beloved member of our ʻohana. Nate Yuen lives in our hearts as a remarkably genuine and committed environmental justice advocate. He was recognized by many as a talented photographer that used his gift to share his manaʻo and passion for aloha ʻāina with the world.
Nate was a long-time member of the Sierra Club, serving various roles on the Executive Committee since 2016. We miss him dearly and carry his spirit with us in all that we do, day in and day out.
Nate’s photography and in-depth knowledge of Hawaiʻi’s flora and fauna live on through his website hawaiianforest.com and you can read his regular article in the Mālama i ka Honua digitally here and through our archives here.
Rest in power Nate, we love and miss you.