Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization & Hawaiʻi-Firewise

Dana Aina recently accepted a part-time position as a Firewise Community Support Specialist for HWMO. He’s been an active member of the Waikōloa Village Firewise Committee since 2019 and carried out the HWMO volunteer role of firewise community ambassador and wildfire home assessor since 2022. Originally from Kailua-Kona, Dana graduated from Konawaena High School (class of ‘83, Go Wildcats!) and served 3 years in the U.S. Navy. He earned both his bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science (Teaching Option) and master's degree in Counselor Education (Student Development) from The Pennsylvania State University. Passionate about helping others achieve their goals, Dana spent over 30 years as a professional educator at the high school and post-secondary levels. A kanaka maoli, born and raised on Moku O Keawe, Dana enjoys learning and likes to walaʻau about his ancestral home and culture with others.

Waikōloa Firewise Community Member & Team Rubicon USA - Hawaiʻi Island Administrator

Shelly Aina has been a member of the Waikōloa Firewise Community since moving to Waikōloa in 2017. She was chair of the Waikōloa Village Associationʻs Firewise Committee, until the end of 2024. She has been an HWMO volunteer community ambassador and NFPA-trained wildfire home assessor since 2022. Originally from Pennsylvania, she is married to Dana Aina. They moved to Hawaiʻi Island in 2016. Following her service in the US Army, she attended The Pennsylvania State University, earning a B.A. in Liberal Studies. She spent 30+ years at Penn State working first as the Veterans Outreach Coordinator, then as an Information Technology Manager. After retiring, Shelly and Dana moved to Hawaiʻi, where she earned a certificate in Hawaiian Studies from Hawaiʻi Community College - Pālamanui. Shelly is passionate about volunteering her time with non-profit organizations. Most recently she assumed the role as the Hawaiʻi Island Administrator for Team Rubicon USA.

County of Hawaiʻi Mayor

Mayor Kimo Alameda is a proud father of seven children who has dedicated his professional career to serving the people of Hawaiʻi Island.

Prior to being elected as Mayor, he led Bay Clinic as CEO, the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force, and was the Executive of the County of Hawaiʻi’s Office of Aging.

A licensed psychologist and former coach, Mayor Alameda leads the County to build healthy communities, support geographic equity, and create a stronger island for all.

Fire Safety Research Institute

Derek Alkonis is a Research Program Manager with Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), at UL Research Institutes. He manages the implementation of organizational initiatives related to firefighter health and safety and spearheads efforts in addressing wildland urban interface fire challenges, a priority expansion area for FSRI research. Prior to joining FSRI, Derek served 31years with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, most recently as Assistant Fire Chief of the Air and Wildland Division. During his tenure with LACoFD, he responded to WUI fires throughout the state during the busiest wildfire seasons in California’s recorded history. As LACoFD’s Director of Training, he developed and implemented innovative programs supporting fire ground tactics, survival, and fire fighter health. Derek was FSRI’s Maui Wildfire Comprehensive Review and Analysis Team Leader and is currently leading the Southern California Fires Comprehensive Review and Analysis Team. Derek earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego where he also played on the baseball team.

Governor's Climate
Advisory Team & University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Richardson School of Law

Denise Antolini is a volunteer member of Governor Greenʻs Climate Advisory Team (CAT), formed in June 2025 to develop policy recommendations that help Hawaiʻi mitigate future climate disasters by investing in environmental and infrastructure resilience and that help our state recover post-disaster. The Jan. 2025 CAT report led to several bills introduced and pending in the Hawaiʻi Legislature. Denise has more than 30 years of experience in environmental law. She retired in 2023 as a Professor Law Emerita from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is active in North Shore, Oʻahu, community and environmental issues.

Headwaters Economics

Kimiko Barrett is the Senior Wildfire Research and Policy Analyst at Headwaters Economics, a non-partisan independent research organization based in Bozeman, Montana. Kimi is a committed agent of change in how we live with inevitable wildfires. In partnering with institutions, community leaders, local government, federal policy makers, and other subject matter experts, she has led research of national significance on topical issues such as the economics of wildfires, structural ignition vulnerabilities, building codes and land use planning, and community risk reduction strategies. Kimi served on the Federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, providing key Congressional policy recommendations to better address wildfire impacts. She also is the previous Program Director for Headwaters Economics’ Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program, working with more than 80 communities across the country to devise community-driven solutions to reduce and adapt to increasing wildfire risks. Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, she now lives in nearby Livingston and has her Ph.D. in Forestry.

Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization

Andrea "Nani" Barretto is honored to be serving as HWMO's new Co-Executive Director, as of September 2019. Although she is new to the world of wildfire, she brings a leadership "flavor" that is built on collaboration, inspiration, servant leadership, catalytic communication, and clarity of purpose to achieve the organizational mission. Nani began her public service with the Peace Corps in Zambia (2001-04) and continued in higher education as a social scientist at the University of Michigan (2006-11). She earned a Master of Health Science degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society in 2006 and a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology from Emory University in 2000. Since her arrival on the Big Island in 2011, she has served as a grants consultant for area schools and nonprofits.

Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Steve has been the Branch Manager for the Hawaiʻi Branch Division of Forestry and Wildlife since 2014. Prior to that he was the Forestry Manager from 2003 to 2014 and the Protection Forester starting in 1990 managing Hawaiʻi island’s Forest Reserve System and Wildland Fire Program. He graduated with a Forest Science Degree from the University of Illinois. He spent two years as a Peace Corp Volunteer in the Phillipines working as an agroforester and a year with the USFS as a forester before moving to Hawaii.

Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership

Chris Brosius has been the Program Manager for the Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership since 2004. This watershed landscape is a storehouse for Hawaiian biodiversity and also serves as the principal water source for the island of Maui. He and his team are administered through the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Cooperatives Studies Unit. Together they bring additional capacity to managing the watershed and assist in coordinating resources among agencies and landowners to mitigate threats to forest health across 50,000 acres. By focusing on invasive species programs, outreach and education, coordination and gap filling, MKWP is attempting to curb forest degradation and enhance the sustainability of the island of Maui. In recent years this has also meant addressing the increase in fire threats and impacts due to adjacent fallow lands, droughts, and more ignitions. Efforts to address this important issue include participating in wildfire hazard scoping groups, planning, fuel mitigation, outreach and education.

Hawaiian Electric

Colton Ching is senior vice president of planning and technology. He has responsibility for planning Hawaiian Electric’s 100% renewable energy grid and the procurement of cost-effective, reliable, and resilient renewable resources to fulfil its plans. Colton is also responsible for developing and managing Hawaiian Electric’s strategies and budgets for the transmission and distribution system, including Hawaiian Electric’s Wildfire Safety Strategy. Colton previously served as Vice President of Energy Delivery as well as Vice President of System Operation and Planning and has 34 years of utility experience.

In addition to his work at Hawaiian Electric, Colton serves on the IEEE Power & Energy Society External Advisory Board, Department of Energy Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) External Advisory Board, the Pacific Energy Institute Advisory Board, and the Executive Board of the Aloha Council of the Scouts BSA. Colton is also one of 13 inaugural cohorts in the Omidyar Fellows Leadership program.

Retired US Forest Service Fire Research Scientist

Jack Cohen, Ph.D., has been involved in wildland fire operationally as a firefighter and Fire Behavior Analyst and as a US Forest Service Research Physical Scientist (1976-2016, retired). As a scientist he did fire behavior research at the US Forest Service fire laboratories: Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (1976-1979; 1995-2016), the Riverside, CA Fire Laboratory (1979-1989) and the Southern Fire Laboratory (1989-1995). Using computational modeling, laboratory and field experiments, and investigations of wildland-urban fire disasters, Jack’s research discovered that home ignitions during extreme wildfires are determined by the characteristics of a home in relation to its surroundings within 100 feet (30 meters); he called this area the home ignition zone (HIZ). He applied this understanding to develop the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) “Assessing Structure Ignition Potential from Wildfire” training and co-developed the NFPA Firewise USA Program.

Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization Board

Dan Dennison is the Communications Director for the Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources. He also serves as the statewide Fire Information Officer for wildland fires on DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife lands and currently is the board chair of the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization. Dan has extensive experience covering wildland fires in the west, while working as a television reporter and news director for 40 years in Colorado, Hawaiʻi, California, and Virginia. Dennison first came to Hawaiʻi in 2023 as news director at KHON-TV, and subsequently was news director at KHNL/K5-TV. Dan has multiple Emmy Awards and other honors from the Associated Press, National Press Photographers Association and multiple state broadcast organizations. He is an avid hiker, bicyclist, snorkeler, skier, and loves to play tennis and Frisbee. He says he is both blessed and honored to document the work of DLNR staff and its many partners in the mountains, forests, and waters that comprise Hawaiʻi Nei. “The best job in the world.

Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network

As the Strategy Director for the Fire Adapted Communities Network, Tiernan brings over a decade of work in community disaster response and recovery to support network members in defining, envisioning, and building the fire future they want. Offering a wealth of experience with facilitation, community organizing, and strategic planning, she provides members with coaching, sector analysis, and resource curation and creation, with a focus on post-fire community recovery. Tiernan’s past work includes co-founding a nonprofit for local flood relief and recovery and designing and managing community resilience programs for multi-stakeholder coalitions. She is passionate about supporting systems and processes that are people-first and tailored to local culture and needs. Tiernan holds a Master’s of Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona, as well as an MA in Classical Languages from UC Berkeley. When not working she spends her time trail running with her dog and weaving a growing mountain of textiles.

East Maui Watershed Partnership

Dan has extensive experience with land management, working primarily to abate threats to the wet forests of windward Haleakala. Dan is the program manager of the East Maui Watershed Partnership, a project of the University of Hawaii. Through the partnership, he works on landscape level threat reduction projects that take place on public and private land. These projects rely on multi-agency planning, information sharing, and relationships. The partnership evaluates and prioritizes all threats to the watershed, and in the past year, has initiated fundraising for and implementation of wildfire fuel reduction projects at dryer project sites.

International Code Council

Karl Fippinger is a senior executive leading advocacy for resilient codes and standards in the built environment with the nation’s fire service and emergency management leaders. He is a 30-year veteran of the fire and emergency services having served as an Assistant Fire Chief in Prince William County, VA as well as an adjunct instructor with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Fairfax County, VA. Karl is a Certified Emergency Manager and previously served as a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Advisory Council. He brings more than 25 years of public and private sector experience in federal, state, and local disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

Launiupoko Firewise Resident Leader

Gordon Firestein has been a resident of Launiupoko, Maui since 2008 and has been actively leading his neighborhood’s Firewise efforts since 2015. A firm believer in the power of community action, Gordon is dedicated to helping his neighbors take proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk and protect their homes. He recently completed the 2-day Assessing Structures for Ignition Potential (ASIP) course so he can be available to complete home assessments for interested neighbors.

National Fire Protection Association

Megan has been working in and around wildfires since 2003, when she started as a seasonal firefighter with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. She currently works at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in the Wildfire Division, serving as the Firewise USA® Program Manager and represents NFPA in different wildfire working groups. She connects with federal, state, and local partners to engage residents and communities in proactive wildfire risk reduction activities through the framework of the Firewise USA® Recognition Program and believes that collaboration is the key to success in navigating the wildfire problem – no one organization or person has all the answers.

Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization

Born in Placerville, California, Heather moved to Hawaiʻi in 2002 to begin her college education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo; later graduating with honors with a degree in Marine Science and a Certificate in Planning. Before joining the HWMO, she worked as an Environmental Planner performing a variety of development, transportation, and public involvement projects; in addition, she was an Extension Specialist at the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab, a program of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi, assisting communities and agricultural industries in the prevention and management of invasive ants. To protect the delicate environment here in Hawaiʻi, Heather acknowledges the importance of community awareness, cultural sensitivity, and public participation in conservation and management efforts.

National Park Service

Greg Funderburk is the Fire Management Officer of the Interagency Fire Management Program between the National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service in the Pacific Islands. The program provides wildfire response, supports firefighters and contributes to the management of wildland fuels and post fire recovery across the National Parks and Wildlife Refuges of the Pacific. Mr. Funderburk has been stationed at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for 13 years. A graduate of North Carolina State University, his fire management experience was gained through employment with the National Park Service and US Forest Service at posts in Utah, Montana, California, Oregon, Nevada, and Hawaiʻi. He currently serves as a Planning Section Chief on a National Interagency Complex Incident Management Team.

Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization

Sara Gabrielson joined the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization as the regional coordinator for the Pacific Fire Exchange managing the Pacific region chapter of the national Joint Fire Science Program’s Fire Science Exchange Network. Sara serves as a bridge between researchers, land managers, and emergency responders ensuring current fire science and resources are disseminated and communication lines stay active between these stakeholders. Sara earned a PhD in Ecology from Northern Arizona University studying the impacts of invasive species on community ecology and conservation of natural resources and a BA in Environmental Studies from Vassar College. She has worked extensively with land managers in Hawaiʻi to reduce harmful impacts of invasive plants and animals on native forest ecosystems and conserve Hawaiʻi’s unique flora and fauna.

Kahikinui Firewise Resident Leader

Desiree Graham is grateful to call the Hawaiian Home Lands in Kahikinui, Maui, her home. Inspired by her father-in-law, Aimoku Pali, she continues his legacy of service and support for all Kanaka. As a passionate and dedicated community advocate, Desiree works tirelessly to ensure the safety of her neighbors by preventing fire risks. She actively contributes to the Kahikinui Community Firewise Committee and looks forward to welcoming more new members to strengthen the collective effort to safeguard their homes. Desiree’s deep commitment to her community and its resilience against fire hazards reflects her drive to protect and preserve the ʻāina and those in her community.

Headwaters Economics

Doug is the Program Manager for the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program, which is managed by Headwaters Economics. CPAW works with communities across the country to reduce wildfire risks through improved land use planning, compelling communication, and applied research at no cost to the community. Doug spent the early part of his career as an urban land use planner and then transitioned to the fire service where he spent 25 years working as a structural firefighter and paramedic for the Bend Fire Department. Doug’s two decades of professional experience in fire departments and as a land use planner provide practical insights and expertise to communities working to reduce wildfire risks. Doug lives in Bend, Oregon.

Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Honolulu Civil Beat

Originally hailing from Aotearoa New Zealand, Heaton is an award-winning journalist covering environment, climate change, food systems and the Pacific for Honolulu Civil Beat. He has written about wildfire for just over two years, including Civil Beat’s Pulitzer-nominated coverage of the Aug. 8 fires on Maui. Heaton takes a particular interest in fire prevention and mitigation, including the myriad factors that cause, stoke and potentially quell Hawaiʻi’s everpresent fire problems.

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

Richard Hoke is the Executive Assistant to the Chair of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands since March, 2023. Hoke holds a Juris Doctor degree (JD) from the William S. Richardson School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi. Hoke oversees the Chair’s special projects which includes developing DHHL’s Wildfire Response Plan post Lahaina. DHHL has over 200,000 acres in its land inventory, statewide, many in high-risk wildfire areas. Mitigating these risks on a limited budget underscores the need to engage homesteaders to take kuleana to protect themselves and their homesteads from wildfires. It is DHHL’s vision that the core of its Wildfire Response Plan be its firewised homestead communities.

National Fire Protection Association

Gary Honold has been the Regional Director for the National Fire Protection Association's Northwest Field Office for eleven years. His job responsibilities include working with AHJs (Authorities Having Jurisdiction), industry, trades, facility managers, and the public to research, adopt and implement over three hundred codes and standards developed by NFPA. Mr. Honold is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist with over ten years of code enforcement and fire investigation experience. He retired from the Missoula Fire Department after twenty-one years of service. During his tenure with the Missoula Fire Department, Mr. Honold held the positions of Fire Fighter/Paramedic, Fire Inspector, Assistant Fire Marshal, and Engine Company Captain. While serving as Assistant Fire Marshal he was an elected member on the executive board for the Montana State Fire Marshal's Association and worked on the committee addressing the statewide adoption of the fire code.

Kauai Incident Management Team

After serving Kauaʻi for nearly 27 years, retired from Kauaʻi Fire Department (KFD) as a Battalion Chief. During my time in KFD I became involved with Kauaʻi’s Incident Management Team (IMT). A few major incidents assisted with; April 2018 Kauaʻi was hit with a major flooding event and I filled roles in Operations and Planning. In 2021 was asked to come out of retirement and serve as part of Unified Command and help wrap up Kauaʻi’s response to COVID. Also, deployed to Maui days after the Lahaina fire and helped their IMT. Currently, I am IMT Lead at Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) and my main focus is building capacity and strengthening our skills through training and exercise. Our goal is to have many trained personnel to assist us and our neighbor islands, when disaster strikes.

Kauaʻi Planning Dept.

A graduate of Kamehameha Schools and UC Berkeley, Kaʻaina is the Planning Director for Kauaʻi County. He has led Kauaʻi in numerous climate resiliency initiatives, including the county’s Shoreline Setback Ordinance, considered to be one of the most progressive coastal setback policies in the nation. In 2022, he drafted and spearheaded the adoption of the Sea Level Rise Zoning District. This district, with its corresponding regulations, is one of the first ordinances in the country to utilize scientific modeling to create zoning requirements for the built environment to address specific climate hazards.

In his spare time, he enjoys working with his wife and son on their small citrus and sheep farm on the south side of Kauaʻi.

Hawaiʻi County Council Member, District 8

Dr. Holeka Goro Inaba, is a life long resident of Kaloko, Kona and is a dedicated public servant representing District 8 (North Kona) on the Hawaiʻi County Council. A proud graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, he pursued higher education at Chapman University, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees before returning home in 2017 and earning his doctorate degree in educational leadership shortly thereafter. Dr. Inaba has a strong background in education, having worked in the public and private education sectors and as a communication consultant. Inspired by his deep connection to the community and encouraged by family friends, he began his journey in public service in 2020 and was elected Chairman of the Council in 2024.