Kandice Johns Joins The Maui Farm as Executive Director

Kandice Johns

The Maui Farm Board of Directors announced the hiring of Kandice Johns as its new Executive Director. Johns has spent nearly two decades working in the non-profit sector building the capacity of organizations that are working to improve the lives of people in Hawaiʻi.

“Kandice’s broad experience in non-profit development and community building, combined with her financial background are an ideal combination to strategically advance our mission and support the families we serve in achieving their goals,” said Beth Mathias, The Maui Farm’s Board Chairperson.

The Maui Farm offers affordable transitional housing to support women and their children who have overcome significant life challenges, including domestic violence, substance abuse and homelessness. The Maui Farm’s programs uniquely integrate farm-based, place-based and culturally based approaches to strengthen families and teach life skills, enabling them to connect with the land, each other and their community in a safe and supportive environment.

“We have to take responsibility to nurture the health and well-being of the families that make up our community by working towards long-term solutions to these complex and growing problems,” Johns said. “My non-profit career started at the Maui AIDS Foundation working with at-risk women and youth nearly 20 years ago. Today, at The Maui Farm, I am still working to address many of the same issues of shame and stigma that contribute to the systemic challenges faced by the families we serve.”

Johns invites the community to experience the farm with a visit for a free farm tour, hosted every second Saturday of the month with advance reservations. The Maui Farm also welcomes volunteers and encourages service-learning projects from schools and community groups.

“Life at The Maui Farm – for the plants, animals and families – is vibrant and thriving,” Johns said. “You can instantly see and feel how much care and love go into growing the seeds of a brighter tomorrow. The Maui Farm’s approach is completely different from any other program on Maui serving families because it models and teaches sustainability on all levels. I am honored to continue this critical work and bring renewed focus to the way our community helps families transform their lives and transition to self-sufficiency.”

Johns is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She also holds a MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Shidler College of Business.

Founded in 1985, The Maui Farm, Inc. is a community-based 501c3 nonprofit organization providing transitional housing and farm-based, family-centered programs that teach essential life skills for self-sufficient living.  www.themauifarm.org