Age: 64
Job: Kauai councilwoman
Background: Former Kauai mayor; founder, board member, Kauai Public Land Trust, Hawaii Island Land Trust
What is the most pressing quality of life issue, and what would you do about it?
Lack of affordable housing. It relates to homelessness, families under stress, latch-key kids, other social problems. As Housing Committee chair, I am working to secure/build 1. an optimum policy framework for accelerated public-private housing development 2. sustained funding for county housing agency 3. 1000 permanently affordable homes in 10 years.
What is the most important issue facing Kauai County, and how would you address it?
Governance. How can the Kauai community best govern itself? Select its best leaders? Solve its problems, create opportunities — especially around highly conflicted and complex issues? I am trying to model/encourage good leadership and work with others to create a framework and processes for robust civil discourse and wise collective decision-making.
