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.

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Carolyn Auweloa is the Director of Operations and co-founder of LCLT. Born and raised in Lahaina, 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. She worked with countless producers to understand the impacts of current grazing land management and the ecology of the landscape itself, collaborating across conservation and agricultural sectors to develop plans for grazing, cropland and wildlife projects.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE (INTERIM)

Simon Windell is LCLT’s interim Director of Finance. He is a leading expert in the development of community land trusts and has served land trusts, including the Methow Housing Trust. Simon has firsthand experience working to ensure that public investment in non-market housing pays community dividends. Much of Simon’s work is focused on building operational processes, financial models, and mechanisms for permanence that inspire confidence in the community return of large capital investments into housing infrastructure. Prior to working in the community land trust space, he spent 14 years in corporate operations at a large consulting firm, solving complex, multi-disciplinary problems and leading large teams across the globe. He has also served as a Winthrop Planning Commissioner and the treasurer of the board of the Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition.

SYSTEMS AND OPERATIONS MANAGER

Deborah Mader is the Systems and Operations Manager 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. Her driving force is to harness her experience in business management and operations to ensure that Lahaina lands stay in Lahaina hands. Outside of work, Deborah spends much of her time volunteering in Maui's social and environmental justice space, and also loves swimming, attending concerts and spending time with family.

ACQUISITIONS AND STEWARDSHIP MANAGER

Ka‘i Niles is the Acquisitions & Stewardship 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. Outside of her work, Ka‘i is deeply involved in sharing her expertise with community organizations that build brighter futures for Maui's children and Native Hawaiian communities, including the Living Pono Project and Makana no nā Keiki, which provided gifts for children who lost homes in the 2023 fires.

KALUA‘EHU PROGRAM MANAGER

Noelle Bali is the Kalua‘ehu Program Manager for LCLT, where she fosters innovative cross-sector collaborations and builds collectives to keep Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands. Born and raised in Lahaina, Noelle spent a decade in the advertising industry working in cities from Portland to New York for renowned brands including Apple and Nike, often crafting campaigns that told stories of unsung heroes in everyday communities. In the aftermath of the 2023 fires, Noelle like so many other kamaʻāina harnessed her prior professional experience to help heal what remains of this special place – and to protect Lahaina’s identity and history. Noelle's motivating force is the drive to ensure her family and friends can remain – and thrive –in Lahaina, for generations to come.

COMMUNICATION MANAGER

Marina Starleaf Riker is the Communication Manager 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. She spent the bulk of her journalism career in Texas, where she reported on the landfall and aftermath of Hurricane Harvey — and how the disaster widened wealth gaps. After losing her home in the 2023 fire in Kula, she chose to work directly in community to advance solutions for community healing.

CONSULTANT AND POLICY ADVISOR

Julie Brunner is a housing consultant and policy advisor for LCLT. Since 2002, Julie has specialized in Community Land Trusts and serves as the Housing Director for OPAL Community Land Trust on Orcas Island, Washington. Julie’s has worked with community land trusts, municipalities and nonprofits across the country and has supported them in creating, expanding or improving their CLT efforts. This includes housing needs assessments, financial feasibility, program design, lender relations, project implementation and project work-outs. Julie also provides technical assistance and training to identify and expand the use of industry standards and best practices through Grounded Solutions Network and NeighborWorks America.