As a visionary city planner and foundation executive, Mark committed his career to fostering a thriving future for Hawaiʻi's communities. When HILT was established in 2011 through the groundbreaking merger of four island-specific land trusts, Mark stepped forward to serve as an inaugural member of the Board of Directors.

Throughout his tenure from 2011 to 2016, Mark provided foundational leadership during a critical period of growth for the newly unified organization. For Mark, this period of service was far more than a board seat; he considered it among the most meaningful chapters of his life. Advancing HILT’s mission to cultivate reciprocal relationships between people and the land was a natural, seamless extension of his life’s work.

The Impact of Mark’s Vision
Because of the strategic foundation built by Mark and his peers, HILT now operates as Hawaiʻi’s only local, islands-wide, nationally accredited land trust. Today, HILT cares for over 22,500 acres across the islands through 8 community preserves and 55 conservation easements and serves thousands of community members annually through educational, cultural, recreational, behavioral health, and other programming.

Guided by a vision of healthy lands that nourish our communities, HILT’s work spans three vital areas of impact that Mark passionately championed:

• Thriving Biocultural Ecosystems: Restoring native biodiversity while actively preserving cultural landscapes and practices.

• Resilient Food Systems: Advancing local agriculture by securing and preserving suitable lands for farmers and ranchers, helping to build a robust, sustainable food system.

• Empowered Kamaʻāina Communities: Creating pathways for local communities to steward the lands they depend on, fostering resilience, economic opportunity, and equitable access to resources and services.

Urgent Capital Needs

HILT is currently at a pivotal moment, actively raising critical capital to advance several major, time-sensitive projects. Chief among these is an unprecedented opportunity to transition an iconic landscape into permanent community stewardship before the end of this year. This extraordinary wahi pana encompasses native ecological features, deep cultural history, traditional food systems, and vital opportunities for community housing, recreation, and education. To responsibly and sustainably assume the perpetual kuleana of these lands, HILT must urgently raise $10 million to fund immediate site repairs, long-term planning, baseline stewardship and programming, and related overhead.

Alongside this landmark acquisition, HILT continues to secure new conservation easements to preserve agricultural and biocultural spaces. HILT is also working to complete the vital fundraising campaign for the new Cultural Learning Center at Waiheʻe, Maui, which will serve as a dynamic hub for immersive education, cultural practice, and connection to the ʻāina.

These ambitious projects illustrate the scale and urgency of HILT’s work today. Contributions made in Mark’s memory provide the vital funding needed to fuel this momentum and give HILT the agility and capacity to seize transformational opportunities as they arise across Hawaiʻi

Continue Mark’s Work

We invite you to join us in honoring Mark’s enduring commitment to Hawaiʻi. Your gift in his memory helps ensure HILT has the ongoing resources to care for cherished lands, empower local communities, and build the resilient island future Mark always envisioned.