Resilience hubs topic of Mayor’s Sustainability Speaker Series on Thursday

Kristin Baja, who has worked on resilience hubs for more than a decade, will discuss the role of hubs in supporting sustainability during a lecture and a community forum on Thursday, Jan. 16, as part of the County of Maui Mayor’s Sustainability Series.

Baja, co-chief executive officer of Embodied Ecosystem and the Resilience Hub Collaborative, will speak on “Comprehensive Community Action and Human Rights-Based Approach to Increase Resilience in Our Islands: Transformative & Trust Building Hubs” at 11:30 a.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room at the Kalana O Maui County building in Wailuku. 

The community forum will cover “Shaping & Shifting Power to Communities Through Action Centered Resilience Hub” at 5 p.m. at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College Open Air Hale. 

Resilience hubs are community-focused facilities designed to support residents by coordinating communication, distributing resources and reducing carbon emissions, while improving quality of life. These hubs operate at the intersection of community resilience, emergency management, climate change mitigation and social equity. They empower communities to become more self-reliant, socially connected and successful before, during and after disruptions.

Baja, a pioneer of the resilience hub concept, has implemented hubs across North America and internationally. She specializes in transforming local government processes, empowering communities and centering racial and environmental justice. Baja has master’s degrees in Urban Planning, Science and Biomimicry and was recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change in 2016 for her work on climate and equity. She is also a coach and facilitator.

The monthly Mayor’s Sustainability Speaker Series, now in its second year, features individuals dedicated to caring for our planet, sharing their stories and strategies to protect Maui Nui for future generations. This series aims to facilitate essential conversations on climate change and how we can come together to create a more sustainable Maui Nui and a collective world.

For more information, call the County of Maui Office of Economic Development at 808-270-7710.