Liat Portner - Chair
Liat joined the board in January 2025 from her living room in Hale‘iwa, O‘ahu. She works at UH Mānoa, for the Ecosystems Extension Project. Her first experience in Papahānaumokuākea was on Hōlanikū in 2012 and has since been able to contribute to mālama with NOAA’s Marine Debris program, and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Cenchrus eradication project.
Mele Khalsa - Vice Chair
Mele joined the FoHI board in 2025. She first visited the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2018 while doing seabird conservation work across the Pacific and fell in love with the beautiful islands and unique species found there. She grew up on Kaua‘i, where she still lives with her family and dogs. She is the Director of The Nature Conservancy's Kaua‘i Program.
Barry Stieglitz - Secretary
Barry worked 30 years for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, spending his last 13 years as the Refuge and Monument Supervisor in Honolulu where he oversaw operations for all of the National Wildlife Refuges and Marine National Monuments in the Pacific. After taking early retirement to look after aging parents in 2018, he was recruited to the Board in September 2020 and has served as Secretary since. He now lives near his grandchildren in South Bend, Indiana.
Lauri Leach - Treasurer
Lauri is from Massachusetts and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. She spent several years volunteering with wildlife and marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation groups while working as a veterinary technician. Lauri moved to Hilo to gain wildlife conservation experience and ended up spending a season studying monk seals at Kure Atoll. She went on to spend several field seasons all over the country studying seals, whales, shorebirds, and seabirds before getting a master's degree in marine biology at the University of Maine, where she studied the effects of river restoration on interactions between seals and Atlantic salmon. After graduate school, she completed a Knauss marine policy fellowship at the Marine Mammal Commission, where she now works as a policy analyst. Lauri is so grateful for the time she spent in Hawai'i and is excited to stay connected to the islands and Papahānaumokuākea through her position on the Board.
Ajani Bakari - Board Member
Ajani Bakari joined the Board in 2024 and is a marine science policy professional with a background in disaster risk reduction, the blue economy, climate-induced migration, and science communication. He fell in love with the Hawaiian Islands during an undergraduate research trip and has been seeking ways to give back ever since. Though far from the ocean in Tennessee, he spends his time training in martial arts, hitting the gym, or getting lost in a good book.
Ilana Nimz- Board Member
Ilana Nimz is from Oahu, and remained in Hawaii to design her own major in Conservation Biology and Marine Science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is currently an ecologist for Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge and an ecological consultant with her own business, Leaf & Feather. Nimz has spent six field seasons in Papahānaumokuākea working with monk seals, seabirds, and habitat restoration projects. She has also participated in seabird research in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, Farallon Islands, and on Kauai. Nimz recently completed her Master's degree in the Pelagicos lab at Hawaii Pacific University, focusing on foraging habits of Christmas Shearwaters in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. In addition to research, she enjoys sharing stories of the unique habitats of Hawaii through writing and painting.
Susan Frett - Board Member
Susan Frett is a conservation professional with over a decade of experience leading environmental programs in Hawaiʻi and the Midwest. Her work has focused on marine conservation, invasive species management, and community-based stewardship initiatives. In her most recent role, she directed ocean conservation, education, and outreach programs for a Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit, building partnerships with agencies and community organizations to advance practical, science-based solutions. Susan holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Conservation from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Outside of her professional work, she is an avid scuba diver and volunteers in reef cleanups and marine stewardship efforts across Maui. She lives in Wailuku with her husband and enjoys spending time in and around the ocean.
Onye’ Ogene - Board Consultant
Onye’ Ogene is from Miami, Florida and obtained her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. With a love and passion for the ocean, Onye’ was able to concentrate her degree in three areas: Marine Science, Climate Change and Interdisciplinary Studies. After traveling to Oahu to complete her Senior Research about people’s opinions on the plastic bag ban, Onye’ attended Hawaii Pacifc University’s Global Leadership and Sustainable Development Master’s program. Here Onye’ learned the importance of education in combating almost every environmental problem that exists. Onye’ recently completed her Master’s in Education with Alder Graduate School of Education. She now hopes to transform the current education system into the pillar of sustainable development by developing teacher training programs and adapting science curriculum.
