Staff

Dale B. Bonar
Executive Director
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Dr. Bonar earned his PhD in Marine Science at UH and spent 16 years as a Professor of Zoology and Research Scientist at the Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland. Returning to the west coast he founded Aquatic Environmental Sciences, a consulting company for marine and freshwater coastal issues. Board service with a local Land Trust resulted in taking over directorship of the Northwest Program of the National Land Trust Alliance. In this position he worked with Land Trusts from Wyoming to Alaska, helping them grow and professionalize. He returned to Maui in 2002 to become Executive Director of the Maui Coastal Land Trust (now the statewide Hawaiian Islands Land Trust) and serves as chair of the Natural Areas Reserve System and the Legacy Land Conservation Commission. Hawaiian Islands Land Trust now protects over 17,000 acres of conservation lands in Hawaii.

Anders Lyons
Associate Director
Anders was born and raised on Maui and received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Puget Sound in 1990. Anders has held various leadership positions in environmental conservation since 1996 including Maui Program Director for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Palmyra Program Director for TNC, Interim (Transitional) Director for Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, and now Associate Director for The Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. In all, Anders has over 15 years of experience in managing complex conservation programs, implementing community-based marine and terrestrial conservation plans, government relations, major gifts fundraising, and leading productive teams.

Scott Fisher
Director of Conservation & Maui Island Director
Scott grew up in Kula, and at age 17 enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After his discharge, he studied at Colorado State University. Scott’s graduate work includes an M.A. in peace studies with a concentration in native Hawaiian strategies of peacemaking and reconciliation. His Ph.D. explored the dynamics of post-conflict recovery in a civil war on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, with a particular emphasis on how communities make wise decisions about conflicts over natural resources. Since 2003 Scott has worked for the Maui Coastal Land Trust, first as a project manager at the land trust’s 277-acre Waihe‘e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge and, since January of 2011, as the Director of Conservation for the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. In this capacity he has led all aspects of the ecological restoration work conducted by the Land Trust. Since 2005 he has served on the Maui/Lana‘i Island Burial Council and, more recently, as a board member of the Hawai‘i Wetlands Joint Venture, Public Access Trails Hawai‘i, and the Friends of Midway Atoll. Scott enjoys teaching people about cultural and natural history of Hawai‘i and pounding poi with his kids on the weekend.

Monica George
Director of Operations
Monica grew up in the Southeast Alaska town of Juneau. It was in this temperate rainforest her love of the land was born. In 2006, Monica made the decision to move Maui. Monica quickly found a position in land conservation and her interest in nature flourished. Now as part of the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust team she is excited to continue her journey. She recently completed her Certificate in Nonprofit Management at UH Maui and was accepted as a 2012 Ka Ipu Kukui Fellow. She thoroughly enjoys all the magical moments with her children, photography, cooking and CrossFit.

Sara Smith
Director of Outreach
Sara’s healthy connection to the Maui community stems from a life spent living and loving the islands. In her current capacity as HILT’s Outreach Director, that connection is put to good use promoting land conservation—an objective that nurtures her soul. Sara graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder with a BS in Journalism and BA in Fine Art. She established herself in the local business community as Associate Publisher of Maui No Ka Oi magazine, where she worked for eight years. She is a competitive paddler, avid cook, novice gardener, and aspiring knitter. While world travel is a passion, caring for her two young children is, for now, keeping her firmly rooted in Hawai‘i.

Jennifer Luck
Kauai Island Director
During her time as Executive Director of the Kaua‘i Public Land Trust Jennifer Luck oversaw the successful acquisition of two conservation easements on the island’s north shore and expansion of the very popular Black Pot Beach Park in Hanalei. Prior to that she served as Executive Director of a professional organization in southern California. As HILT’s Kaua‘i Island Director, Jennifer is focused on completing several projects across the island and increasing Kaua‘i’s overall conservation acres.

James Crowe
Land Steward
Born and raised on Maui, James is rooted in the islands. That connection continues to grow stronger as he works to restore natural systems endemic to Hawai‘i and takes pride in the renewed life that has been given to the land.

Janet Britt
Acquisitions Specialist
For Janet, conservation has been a lifelong career.  She was born and raised in Riverton, Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She worked for the Fish & Wildlife Service’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD as a raptor biologist until 1984, when she met and married her husband Tim. After moving back to Riverton, she worked for Central Wyoming College as the assistant director of admissions, and then found her true calling in 1992 while working for the newly formed Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. She worked there for nearly twenty years, most recently as the Coordinator of Conservation Projects. Passionate about caring for wildlife and the lands they depend on, Janet holds federal and state rehabilitation permits to care for injured wildlife. Janet admires the Hawaiian love and respect for the land and hopes to make a difference to the conservation of her newly adopted state.