EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Autumn Ness serves as LCLT’s Executive Director nurturing the long-term vision and holding steadfast to bring more āina into community ownership. On a personal level, she has intimate experience with the influx of outside wealth and displacement that too often unfolds after disasters after being displaced after the Japan tsunami and nuclear meltdown. She previously served as Senior Affordable Housing Policy Advisor for Council Member Johnson, chair of Affordable Housing. They worked with Maui County Council to implement a progressive package of affordable housing bills that include the strongest anti-displacement policies in Hawaiʻi, and increased funding mechanisms for infrastructure and affordable housing. She is also the founder of the Maui Food Hub, a response to COVID that has now become vital and permanent farm-to-consumer infrastructure.

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Carolyn Auweloa is the Chief Operations Officer. Everything about Carolyn’s life revolves around ʻāina momona – meaning fertile or rich land. She currently serves as a board member of Nā Maka Onaona, a state-wide non-profit focused on cultivating ʻāina momona, and formerly served as the State Rangeland Management Specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. During her time with USDA, Carolyn provided planning, implementation and contract management oversight for 86 federal contracts totaling over $12 million.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Simon Windell is LCLT’s Chief Financial Officer. Simon is a leading expert in the development of community land trusts and has served land trusts, including the Methow Housing Trust. Prior to working in the community land trust space, he spent 14 years in corporate operations at a large consulting firm. He has also served as a Winthrop Planning Commissioner and the treasurer of the board of the Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition.

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS

Deborah Mader is the Vice President of Operations for LCLT, where her duties include customization of a SalesForce based property and grant management system, operational support, compliance management and donor relations. Deborah previously managed a company in New York with more than 100 employees, coordinating support/communications for 20,000 families in the largest soccer program in Long Island.

PROGRAM MANAGER

Ka‘i Niles is the program manager for LCLT, overseeing the trust's efforts to secure and steward property for generations to come. Born and raised in Lahaina, Ka‘i brings decades of experience as a small business owner, real estate professional and accounts executive to her work growing and managing LCLT's portfolio of lands held in community ownership. She brings her generational ‘ike of Lahaina as well as professional expertise gained through years in real estate to foster the relationship between Lahaina's people and āina.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

Marina Starleaf Riker is the Communication Director for LCLT, where she works to educate community members and policymakers on the social, economic and ecosystem-wide benefits of expanding community ownership. Born and raised on Maui, Marina previously spent nearly a decade working as a journalist, with a focus on investigating barriers to equity in housing, health care and disaster recovery.

CONSULTANT & POLICY ADVISOR

Julie Brunner is a consultant and policy advisor for LCLT. She is a housing consultant specializing in Community Land Trusts, who has also served as the Housing Director for OPAL Community Land Trust on Orcas Island, Washington since 2002. Julie’s work has focused regionally and nationally, focusing on housing and community needs assessments, board development, program design, project feasibility, project work-outs and project implementation. She also regularly provides training through the Grounded Solutions Network.