WHO WE ARE

Joel and Jaime Navarro are long standing and devoted West Maui residents for close to 30 years.  Their commitment to the people of Lahaina began with their strong ties to the paddling community; having paddled with Napili Canoe Club for several years.  Jaime also has ties with the West Maui resort community having worked at the Hyatt Regency Maui and Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort.  Both resorts have played active roles in supporting the community with volunteer work and charity events.  Jaime is currently employed as a service technician for Sturdevant Air Conditioning, which also places a great emphasis on community outreach.  Joel has an active role in the real estate industry on Maui.  He has been an avid baseball and basketball coach in West Maui for many years.  He currently is on the Board of Directors for the Lahainaluna High School Foundation; is the President of Lahaina Junior Golf Association, and is the Chairman of the Legacy Cup golf tournament that benefits Lahainaluna High School’s “Project Graduation”.  Prior to being the Executive Vice President of Hawaii’s newest title and escrow company, Ho’okele Title & Escrow, Joel served as Assistant Vice President of Commercial Banking for Central Pacific Bank and played a key role in establishing and providing commercial loans to West Maui businesses.  Both Jaime and Joel are very passionate about the Maui community and play an active role in supporting and maintaining its culture and beliefs.

Debbie Arakaki, born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands, is an integral part of Lahaina and Maui’s community and culture. From beginning Mr. Sub in Lahaina to working in COMPASS real estate in Maui and involvement with the Maui Food Bank, Debbie has a deep connection to Maui residents.  

Molly Payne, a cherished resident of Maui for decades, is renowned as a devoted mother to twin girls and married to Kai Lenny. With a lifelong connection to the island, she has nurtured her family and community while co-owning the family establishment, Hale Zen, in Lahaina, offering a true embodiment of Hawaiian warmth and hospitality. 

Drs. Dominic and Ann Pistillo joined the Lahaina community 20 years ago with the goals of enriching the arts and strengthening the island’s resource independence.

Dominic founded over ten companies in his career starting in the late 1970’s including CAD Southwest, Megasystems and the University of Advancing Technology, performing as president for the University for over 30 years. He served on several Federal  and Arizona State higher education task forces and accreditation organizations, and led the re-conception of learning systems for many universities across the US. He founded the non-profit think tank The Leonardo da Vinci Society for the study of Thinking that collaborated with over a dozen of the greatest living thinkers in the world to reinvent the teaching of thinking. In Maui he served on the Launiupoko HOA Board for over eleven years in the roles of secretary, vice president and president. During his time on the Board he chaired the HOA Water Committee  leading the effort to provide the community with reliable water.  He also was a member of the Fire Prevention Committee. He now does research and teaching for food crop independence at their research farm, Maui Mist Gardens (Mauimistgardens.com), on Maui’s west side.

Ann has always had a passion for all the design disciplines as well as the fine arts.  She is an accountant, interior designer, and a talented and accomplished impressionist oil painter (Annpistillofineart.com). She has been involved in the arts community on Maui since moving to the Island, serving as treasurer and board member of the non-profit  Maui Arts League (formerly the West Maui Cultural Council), and performing as an organizer of the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational for over eight years. Prior to moving to Maui, Ann was the Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer of the University of Advancing Technology, leading the design and building of the University’s highly innovative campus in Tempe Arizona. She continues to consult on diverse design projects and apply her extraordinary organizational talents to worthy projects in the islands.

Mike and Dani Haney have been a part of the Lahaina community for almost 30 years with deep family roots in West Maui. For many years they paddled with Napili Canoe Club which helped build many lasting friendships and fostered a love and commitment to Maui and the Hawaiian culture.
Mike worked in the restaurant industry on Front Street in Lahaina for 15 years after which he transitioned to the hospitality industry in Kaanapali. As Mike’s family goes back generations on the west side of the island, he is devoted to raising his kids on Maui and has been a coach to many of the kids affected by this disaster.
Dani worked at the Hyatt Regency in Kaanapali until her children were born. Since then, she has been very involved helping with community events and fundraising at Holy Innocents Preschool, Sacred Hearts School and Kamehameha Schools Maui. For the last 12 years, she has been the office manager at Holy Innocents Preschool doing everything from financials to day to day operations.
Mike and Dani feel blessed to be part of such an amazing community and are committed to supporting a foundation that will help the people of Maui.

Dylan Payne, born and raised in Hawaii, is committed to building the community of Lahaina. He is a proud graduate of Lahainaluna High School and holds a degree in urban planning. He has worked professionally in sports marketing and been active in real estate sales and development for the last 10 years.  Dylan has played a key role in helping several Maui families achieve the dream of home ownership through his involvement in workforce housing developments across the island. He also served as a member of the Community Plan Advisory Committee for West Maui.  He and his wife Kristen, whose family has been in Lahaina for several generations, are raising their young family in Lahaina. A family of avid surfers, they can be found most days at one of West Maui's beaches. 

Steve & Gina Iverson moved to Lahaina with their son, Mathew, in 2011 because they recognized the opportunity they had to raise their son in such an amazing community as West Maui.  Mathew attended King Kamehameha III Elementary and graduated 8th grade from Sacred Hearts.  Mathew became a competitive swimmer at Lahaina Swim Club and is now swimming for FSU. Gina & Steve have both been involved with the community by volunteering their time regularly.  Gina was part of the Executive Board for 8 years that ran the Lahaina Swim Club, while Steve coached youth sports and was President of the Launiupoko HOA. Steve & Gina have many friends that have been personally impacted by the Lahaina fires and they are eager to use their professional experience to help organize the relief efforts and the rebuilding of the West Side community.