At the 2022 Hawaii Energy Conference (HEC), Jacqui Hoover, Executive Director at Hawaii Island Economic Development Board and HEC Program co-chair, interviewed Shelee Kimura, the newly appointed President and Chief Executive Officer for Hawaiian Electric. Born and raised in Hawaii, Kimura currently leads Hawaiian Electric’s strategy to provide safe, affordable, reliable clean energy for customers on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai and Molokai. With her leadership, Hawaiian Electric plans to cut carbon emissions from power generation 70-percent by 2030. Kimura’s vision is to generate electricity with zero or very little carbon emission by 2045, if not sooner.
“Meeting our 2030 commitment will be a stretch, but it is achievable if public policies and community priorities are aligned to ensure that this energy transformation leaves no one behind,” Kimura explained. “Equity is an important issue at Hawaiian Electric. We have been focused on it for many years and we look at it in many ways. From a financial perspective, we want to make sure everyone can afford our transition to renewable energy. Also important is equity from a geographic perspective. We need to integrate many megawatts of renewable energy and we know that takes a lot of land. These conversations about where the projects will be sited, how they will be sited, the relationship with community—these are all really important topics that we have been trying to nurture over the last several years. We know that as we put more and more renewables on the electric power system there will be challenges. It is actually an issue that the entire energy eco-system cannot ignore.”
Kimura added that a lot of time is spent on the technical and engineering aspects of the grid models. However, she says the social models are an equally great challenge. “Equity and community is something that we are very focused on. Hawaiian Electric recognizes the needs and the differences of each community as we move forward to implement our renewable, decarbonization and resilience plans. While we are one company, our executives and leaders will continue to meet the specific needs of each island community.”
It is a true honor to lead Hawaiian Electric and serve our customers as we move toward a clean energy goal.
Shelee Kimura, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hawaiian Electric
During a recent Nisei Veterans Memorial Center virtual event, Bamboo Ridge Press (BRP) co-founders Eric Chock and Darrell Lum discussed the significance of publishing literature by, for, and about Hawaii’s people. Founded in 1978, and celebrating their 45th anniversary, Lum and Chock talked about the current state of literature in Hawaii and the importance of the written word.
Chock, a Hawaiian poet, scholar and editor, served as a professor of English and Humanities at the University of Hawaii and coordinated the state’s Poets in the Schools program for more than twenty years. He has also edited several anthologies featuring Hawaiian writers and received the Elliot Cades Award for Literature in 1996. Lum, a fiction writer, playwright, teacher and editor, with a lengthy list of awards, helped shape the landscape of Hawaii’s local literature and theatre, bringing national attention to the Hawaii stage.
“While special attention is given to literature that reflects an island sensibility, BRP is broad in scope and embraces a variety of work,” Lum said. “Some of our books have received recognition for literary excellence and for their contribution to the understanding and appreciation of Hawaii’s cultures and people. Our publications have been adopted as texts or recommended reading in high school and college classrooms, in Hawaii and nationally. Bamboo Ridge, named after an actual place to fish, has caught big fish in literature.”
Chock added, “Currently BRP publishes a literary journal of poetry and fiction featuring work by both emerging and established writers, as well as single-author books and anthologies focused on special themes. In forty-plus years we have published a diverse catalog of poetry, prose, screenplays, stage plays, novels, and more, plus BRP work has been adapted for speech and storytelling performances, plays, and readings. As we digitalize the BRP archive to preserve four decades of local literature, we will continue our mission to foster the voices of Hawaii’s people through new publishing projects, educational programming and community outreach, such as workshops for adults and youth, and free public readings. In addition, we are offering open access to issues that are no longer in print.”
Everyone has a story to tell. We welcome all writers to submit work that celebrates Hawaii’s literary tradition.
Maui resident Lin ter Horst, a former investment banker, fell in love with the art of pastry and confection-making after she completed a pastry diploma program at Le Cordon Bleu London. Prior to receiving her pastry training, Lin, with degrees from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Columbia Business School in New York City, held positions in financial services and internet marketing. Life’s unpredictable turn of events brought her to pastry-making classes at Le Cordon Bleu where she was swept away by the Pates de Fruits, a popular gourmet confection found in France.
“I was overwhelmed by the exquisite flavors these little fruit jewels imparted,” Lin explained. “With an intensity so pure, I was astonished by those exquisite jewel-toned delicacies that practically melted in my mouth!”
In 2012, Lin moved to Maui with her husband Chris, a professional triathlete with a background in industrial engineering. They co-founded Maui Epicure LLC to launch their award-winning business, Maui Fruit Jewels. Chris noted, “At the heart of each Maui Fruit Jewel is a love story buried in the juicy center. Our exotic jellies, fresh purees, fruit-studded shortbread and fruit pastes are filled with wines, spices, fruits and more, all home-grown on Maui. The fruit puree, cooked with other ingredients to a high temperature, are reduced to a thick paste, and poured into molds to set before being cut into small pieces. The little shortbread squares come in a rainbow of colors with flavors like guava, lilikoi, mango, pineapple, papaya and others.”
Maui Fruit Jewels remains a family-run operation, inspired by Hawaii and its people. Chris and Lin sell their ever-growing product line weekly at the Maui Upcountry Farmer’s Market and at numerous stores and hotels. On Saturday, September 17th from 9am-4pm, Lin will chair the annual Kula Festival at St. John’s Church where attendees have traditionally been drawn to talented musicians, homemade foods, artisan crafter booths, and the popular silent auction featuring generous donations from local artists and businesses. Lin added, “This year’s zero-waste event, with its rich history of celebration and service, will help support Maui Cancer Resources and Malama Family Recovery Center.”
We warmly invite our island ohana to the 2022 Annual Kula Festival and to try our Maui Fruit Jewels. Every bite gives back to the Maui ‘aina it comes from.
Renowned Maui artist Sherri Reeve is celebrating a 25-year anniversary in her Makawao gallery. Reeve, who supports numerous Maui-based nonprofit organizations, also captures the spirit of aloha in her artwork with watercolors that shimmer and shine. Offered in a wide variety of forms, her work includes originals, as well as copies on canvas, paper, metal, clothing, stationary, and much more. Inspired by the colors and scenes of Hawaii, Reeve’s originals can be found in private art collections throughout the islands and around the world. In addition, her iconic apparel line is worn by men and women on several continents.
Reeve’s story is one that can serve as an inspiration for any young artist. One of the many things that makes her artwork unique is that she is primarily self-taught. Her innate skill, woven together with fortuitous early job choices and some graphic art courses, laid the foundation for her to become the successful artist and business owner she is today.
“My career came full circle when the retail store where I worked in the early 1980s began distributing my products,” Reeve explained. “This success also facilitated my transition into the Lahaina art gallery scene in the 1990s. During that time, my daughter Hailey was born; she also became an artist and now helps manage the gallery.”
In 1997, a perfect store location became available in Makawao. With the support of her sister Lori and mother Clara, Reeve opened her own gallery. “After all these years, it is still fun for me,” she reflects. “I love having the flexibility of working from my home studio and also spending time in my gallery meeting people and producing artwork and creative products that are both unique and affordable. Having this gallery has enabled me to maintain a more personable connection with my customers.”
Hailey Reeve added, “One of the greatest lessons so far from growing up in my mom’s gallery is that we strive for human connection. That’s what really matters. I truly appreciate all the care and aloha everyone has shared with my family and I over the last 25 years.”
The magnificent colors of the islands have always had a profound influence on me and have inspired me to create a gallery space of color and peaceful beauty.
Trish ‘da Dish’ Smith is living her dreams on Maui. An award-winning community journalist, wordsmith and event producer, Smith currently hosts MANA’O@HOME, a talk-story and live music experience celebrating Maui’s finest musicians. The live show, presented on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 4pm HST, is online via the Mana’o Radio Facebook page. Smith also provides a catalog of past shows on www.manaoradio.com, which includes over 50 Maui artists, a treat for all music enthusiasts.
Mana’o Radio Managing Director Michael Elam noted, “A key part of our mission is to support live music and the local Maui entertainers who make it thrive. We can now reach people who cannot otherwise see an artist perform locally──fans from all over the world can tune in.”
Smith added, “The Mana’o Radio ‘ohana and I are proud to showcase Maui artists by providing this live platform to share their music and be interviewed. It is great that now you can get your live-music fix from the comfort of home and learn more about your favorite Maui performers. Support for the show comes from underwriters da Playground Maui, the island’s multi-faceted live event venue in Maalaea, and from family business, Venture Physical Therapy.”
The show attracted an array of talents from the start and Smith was able to form a solid team to produce a full-fledged broadcast for audiences. Smith recalled, “What began as a Zoom show from a bedroom is now a sophisticated livestream broadcast with tech wizard Cody Quintana from BackLit Buddha Studios, a state-of-the-art artist space. The show not only brings together extraordinary musicians; it also provides a unique platform for them to share their stories and their vulnerability in an online setting. It is just the kind of journalism I have always loved to share!”
During his MANA’O@HOME performance, Maui’s Reggae Ambassador of Hawaii Marty Dread remarked, “Speaking for myself and for all of my contemporaries, thank you Trish and Mana’o Radio for providing a place where we can come talk story and play music, especially after the long lockdown. It is wonderful to share music again in such an amazing format.”
MANA’O@HOME presents an hour-long talk-story, interview, and live music experience featuring Maui’s extraordinary talent.
