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.
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. His experiences include aerial mapping for invasive plant identification and marine debris detection in Hawaiʻi, land use/land cover change analyses in Vietnam, coral reef remote sensing in Australia, participatory mapping in the Philippines, and community forestry extension in Honduras. He is also a beginning farmer with interests in agroforestry, canoe crops, and small livestock. In his new role with Oʻahu RC&D, he seeks to combine 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 Oahu 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.
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.
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.
Sophie Moser
Watershed Coordinator
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.
Logan Motas
Outreach Specialist
logan.motas@oahurcd.org
Born and raised on Oʻahu, Logan has a deeply rooted connection to the land and its communities. Logan is a Natural Resource and Environmental Management major specializing in Plant Ecology, and plans to use her knowledge to serve her community and conserve the state’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.
Joey Poehling
Climate Smart Specialist
joey.poehling@oahurcd.org
Joey graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017 and moved to Oʻahu the following year. Shortly after arriving, he began work in production agriculture managing a greenhouse in central Oʻahu. In the role of Climate Smart Specialist he will be assisting the producers involved in the Climate Smart Commodities program. He is motivated to help create more resilient agroecosystems in Hawaiʻi through sustainably increasing productivity, adapting to climate change, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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, Secretary: Nicole Galase
Treasurer: Trisha Yamato
Director: John McHugh
