Directors of Lahaina Community Land Trust to speak at Rotary meeting, Nov. 19

Autumn Ness and Ka‘i Niles will be the speakers at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset on Tuesday, Nov. 19. They will share information on the Lahaina Community Land Trust’s efforts to Keep Lahaina Lands in Lahaina.

Ness serves as the executive director of the Lahaina Comminty Land Trust (LCLT), nurturing the long-term vision and holding steadfast to bring more ʻāina into community ownership. She fled to Maui with her family from Japan in the year after the 2011 Japan earthquake. Over the last decade on Maui, Ness has grown into a bold community organizer, serving as the director of Beyond Pesticides Hawai’i. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Autumn also co-founded the Maui Hub, a nonprofit food hub created as a lifeline for farmers during pandemic shutdowns that has since grown into a permanent staple of Maui’s local food economy. Today, she serves as the organization’s president.

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, Niles 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. In her work with LCLT, Niles helps Lahaina community members navigate the processes to secure resources for rebuilding, as well as bringing land offered for sale into community ownership.

The meeting will be held in the Surf Room at the Royal Kahana Resort located at 4365 Lower Honoapiʻilani Road, Lahaina, 96761. Social time is at 5 p.m. Program is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. To attend in person, email Club Service Chair Laura Stanton at lstanton127@outlook.com. To join the meeting via Zoom, click on this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87261036247?pwd=ytai1taiCdXzzZ1cfsnCXurzjgzj6r.1