Oʻahu RC&D Staff
Dave Elliott
Executive Director
dave.elliott@oahurcd.org
Dave Elliott has more than fifteen years of experience working in agricultural development and natural resource management in Hawaii and Latin America as an entrepreneur, researcher, and non-profit program director. He is passionate about sustainable agriculture and working alongside farmers to identify stewardship practices that benefit farm productivity and Hawaiʻi’s water and soil resources.
Amanda Shaw
Director of Food Systems
amanda.shaw@oahurcd.org
Amanda Shaw is the Director of Food Systems. Raised in Hunānāniho, Waimānalo, Amanda’s work over the past 18 years has focused on economic development and social equity in the fields of international development, trade and agriculture. After merging Oʻahu Agriculture and Conservation Association (OACA) with O’ahu RC&D, Amanda leads O’ahu RC&Dʻs work on food systems partnerships.
Miguel Castrence
Climate Smart Ag Project Coordinator
miguel.castrence@oahurcd.org
Miguel has worked on a wide variety of natural resource management issues in the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America over the last 2 decades. He is also a beginning farmer with interests in agroforestry, canoe crops, and small livestock. His work at Oʻahu RC&D combines his experience in conservation, expertise in geospatial technologies, and passion for local food security to promote climate smart agriculture.
India Clark
Consultant
india.clark@oahurcd.org
Since graduating in 2007 from UH with her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at UH, India has enjoyed working on resource management and resilience planning, policy, training, and outreach efforts with the University, the NOAA Pacific Services Center, local farms and community stewardship groups. She is excited about her role with O’ahu RC&D in supporting the growth of the Women Farmers Network and farmer-to-farmer learning around soil health and farm business viability practices.
Augusto Decastro
Digital Communications Consultant
augusto.decastro@oahurcd.org
Augusto provides website, photography, and videography support for O’ahu RC&D.
He is also the Sustainability Coordinator for Manoa Elementary School. His primary task is to divert food waste from the landfill by composting them within school property. The composting program provides a learning tool for the classrooms teaching students the effects and value of recycling.
Rachel Fukumoto
Farmer Grant Writer
rachel.fukumoto@oahurcd.org
Rachel is the Farmer Grant Writer of Oʻahu RC&D. Born and raised on Oʻahu in Mililani and Kapahulu, she now calls Puna on Moku O Keawe home. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Creighton University and an M.S. in Natural Resource and Environmental Management from UH Mānoa. A graduate of GoFarm Hawaiʻi’s Waimanalo Cohort 12, Rachel has hands-on experience as an AgIncubator, and worked as a tea (Camellia sinensis) farmer and producer in Kapuʻeuhi, Hawaiʻi. Rachel’s background includes work in conservation, energy efficiency, entrepreneurship, and even pastry. Rachel is passionate about supporting local producers and building resilient communities through her work in agriculture and grant writing.
Megan Gonsalves
Conservation Planner
megan.gonsalves@oahurcd.org
Megan graduated from UH Manoa with her B.S. in Natural Resource and Environmental Management, where she took an interest in soil science and agriculture. She has since worked in a variety of roles in both agriculture and natural resource management, including participating in research focused on creating a soil health index for Hawaiʻi, working as a farm manager and agricultural consultant for a local farm, and completing an AmeriCorps term with DOFAW Native Ecosystems Protection and Management. She is passionate about supporting communities that are contributing to building a resilient Hawaiʻi through agricultural production and resource conservation and carrying this out by providing project support to her colleagues.
Jackson Hart
Grants Manager
jackson.hart@oahurcd.org
Jackson Hart assists in overseeing ORCD’s grant portfolio and supports the implementation of ORCD projects.
Jackson graduated from Cornell University with a Master’s in Global Development. He has over a decade of experience in community development and specializes in designing and managing participatory agricultural development initiatives in US and international contexts. Jackson is passionate about tropical agroecology, improving support services for small-scale farmers, and developing inclusive and climate-resilient agri-food systems. Prior to joining ORCD, Jackson was the Agriculture Project Manager for Pacific Gateway Center, managing grants and projects to support immigrant and refugee farmers in O‘ahu.
Kaliko High
Climate Smart Specialist
kaliko.high@oahurcd.org
Born and raised in Mānoa, Kaliko has always pursued a connection to Hawaiʻi’s unique environment. After studying Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, she returned home and attended UH Mānoa, receiving a BS in Meteorology and a BA in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. During her time with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, where she was partially trained as a navigator, Kaliko was introduced to traditional methods of resource stewardship. She brings over a decade of experience creating community around protecting Hawaiʻi’s environment through creating free place-based STEM curricula, offering seminars on Hawaiʻi’s resources and threats, and working with local farmers to ensure a market for their produce. She currently owns and operates a native plant nursery out of ʻŌlaʻa, and is dedicated to supporting local agriculture systems that include traditional knowledge, with healthy ʻāina as the foundation for a resilient Hawaiʻi.
Becca Hueckel
Conservation Planner
becca.hueckel@oahurcd.org
Becca graduated from CalPoly Humboldt with a B.S. in Environmental Science: Climate and Energy with a minor in Scientific Diving. Throughout her life she has worked on restoration projects in both the land and sea, always focused on climate change solutions and mitigation. Currently Becca provides conservation planning assistance to Oahu producers through a partnership between Oʻahu RC&D and NRCS. Through this position she strives to be an impactful and inclusive environmental steward of the ʻāina.
Andreanna Kaluhiokalani
Community Engagement Specialist
andreanna.kaluhiokalani@oahurcd.org
Andreanna is the Community Engagement Specialist of O’ahu RC&D. Raised in Makakilo, she is a recent graduate of the University of Hawaii West Oahu majoring in Sustainable Community Food Systems and Political Science. She is an experienced farmer and passionate advocate of Aloha and Malama Aina. At O’ahu RC&D, she is focused on community outreach through in-person contact and through the use of social media platforms. She is eager to help farmers and ranchers throughout the state gain the proper funding resources.
Bri Littlefield
Farm Economic
Development Specialist
bri.littlefield@oahurcd.org
Bri Littlefield is the Farm Economic Development Specialist of O’ahu RC&D. A 2022 graduate of GoFarm Hawaii, she brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit development and grant writing to Oahu Agriculture and Conservation Association. In her role, Bri assists local producers in identifying and securing funding from public and private grant programs to help them thrive.
Logan Motas
West Oʻahu District Manager and Community Navigator
logan.motas@oahurcd.org
Born and raised on Oʻahu, Logan has a deeply rooted connection to the land and its communities. Logan majored in Natural Resource and Environmental Management with a specialization in Plant Ecology and uses her knowledge to serve her community and conserve Hawaiʻi’s natural resources. Logan has done a variety of work relating to the environment and community service. During her undergraduate studies, she was an intern field/lab technician studying root competition, a Student Ambassador for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and was one of the Lead Archivists for her scholarship’s cohort. Logan is excited to support and uplift her community through the work Oʻahu RC&D does, and looks forward to forging a more abundant Hawaiʻi.
Sophie Moser
Watershed Program Manager
sophie.moser@oahurcd.org
While receiving her undergraduate degree at Cal Poly, SLO, Sophie was introduced to agroecology and became passionate about reforming food systems to provide stewardship to the environment. Once in graduate school, Sophie researched sustainable cultivation of cash crops with emphasis on intercropping, hoping that the findings influence the California legislature to transform agricultural policies to be more environmentally minded. Sophie desires to see agriculture that gives back to the earth and mimics the natural environment. She is passionate about advocacy for diversity in agriculture, engaging the community in sustainable, long-term change, and conducting research to inform new agriculture protocols and mitigate environmental damage.
Taylor Kaʻili McKenzie
Indigenous Agriculture Conservation Specialist
tk.mckenzie@oahurcd.org
Taylor Kaʻili McKenzie was born and raised on the sandy shores of Kailua, Oʻahu. She attended Seattle University for her B.A. in Environmental Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Taylor Kaʻili then embarked on her M.S. at the University of Michigan, where she specialized in Environmental Justice and received a Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems. During her graduate studies, Taylor Kaʻili worked with Sustʻāinable Molokai, where she supported the development of a resilience hub on Molokai that will support the local economy, reinforce agriculture developments and promote Indigenous sovereignty for Kānaka ʻŌiwi. Taylor Kaʻili plans to bring the lessons she learned on Molokai to her work with Indigenous and Historically Underrepresented farmers on Oʻahu.
Harmony Shelton
Office Administrator
808-622-9026
harmony.shelton@oahurcd.org
Harmony is born and raised on the island Oʻahu. She has an extensive background in banking and customer service. As the Office Administrator, she provides administrative and clerical support to Oʻahu RC&D’s diverse programs. She looks forward to providing assistance to fellow staff members along with learning more about agriculture and conservation here on the islands.
Board of Directors
The Oʻahu RC&D Council is governed by a diverse and dynamic Board of Directors who provide broad geographic representation from both the public and private sectors. Directors volunteer their time, working to oversee the policy, direction, and activities of Oʻahu RC&D.
President: Ethan West
Vice-President: Nicole Galase
Treasurer and Secretary: Trisha Yamato
Directors: John McHugh, Ramsey Brown, Michelle Gorham Dasic, and Danny Rubenstein
