Board of Directors
Board Member, Crystal “Tootie” Glendon
Attorney at Law
Crystal “Tootie” Glendon is Honolulu attorney in private practice since May 2019. Prior to opening her practice, she was a Deputy Public Defender with the State of Hawai‘i Office of the Public Defender for nearly 15 years. Tootie has spent most of her career representing disadvantaged and indigent persons charged with crimes, a significant number of whom are Native Hawaiian, Polynesian and Micronesian.
She is a strong advocate for juveniles charged with crimes and seeks restorative justice to reconnect native youth to their ‘ohana and ‘āina, and to address the cultural and generational traumas that affect many native youth in the system. She enjoys being active in Native Hawaiian issues, and proudly represents several kūpuna who were charged with obstructing the TMT development on Maunakea in 2019.
Tootie was raised in Ka‘a‘awa and Kahalu‘u, O‘ahu before her ‘ohana moved to Kapu‘euhi on Moku o Keawe when she was 6. She graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama (‘96), then returned to Hilo where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (2000). She then earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law (2003), where she was a member of the UH Law Review, earned an Environmental Law Certificate and played flag football in the esteemed Ete Bowl. She is currently a Member of the State of Hawai‘i Defender Council, the governing body of the Office of the Public Defender.
Tootie is also a professional photographer and enjoys baking, cooking and sewing when she’s not running her law practice. She resides on O‘ahu with her husband, Jerel, and their 3 children.
Board Member, Dr. Judy Lemus
Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB)
Dr. Lemus is a marine science and education specialist at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at the University of Hawaii. She develops collaborative partnerships that promote community-science interactions, integrate science and culture, facilitate science learning, and provide professional development opportunities for both young and established scientists.
She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of Southern California. Before coming to Hawaii, Dr. Lemus served as Marine Advisory Program Leader for USC Sea Grant and Director of Education for the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies at USC. She has designed, authored, and taught marine science curricula, teacher workshops, parent-child cooperative learning programs, marine science summer programs, and graduate courses for over 20 years. Dr. Lemus previously lead the National Science Foundation “Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence” in Hawaii (COSEE Island Earth) and currently co-directs the UH Manoa Marine Biology Graduate Program and is the creator of HIMB MakerLab, a learner-driven teaching laboratory that facilitates exploration of science and engineering practices through independent research.
Vice-President, Kalei Stern McDonell
Educator, Mid Pacific Institute
Kalei Stern has experience in the management of initiatives that advance individuals and communities in Hawai‘i. She is a strong proponent of education at all levels, previously managing scholarship programs for college and university students, and currently teaching in the middle grades at Mid-Pacific Institute.
Kalei’s commitment to community leadership includes previous positions on the boards of Kanu Hawai‘i, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Shidler College of Business Alumni Association, College Connections, and KAI LOA, the non-profit affiliate of Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau Charter School.
Kalei is a life long resident of Windward O‘ahu. She graduated from Kamehameha Schools; earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Southern California; and received a master’s in business administration from the Executive MBA program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Treasurer, Moani Paige
Administrative Officer of NOAA
Moani Pai-Paige is the Administrative Officer of NOAA’s Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the largest marine protected area in the U.S., overseeing the administrative program and operations for the past 14 years.
Moani was born and raised in Wai’anae, O’ahu, and currently resides in Kea’au, Hawai’i with her ‘ohana. She graduated from Kamehameha Schools and received a bachelor’s of science degree in Agriculture, specializing in Animal Science and minored in Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. In addition, Moani is also a real estate agent with Aiona Island Realty, LLC. in Hilo, Hawai’i.
Secretary, Debbie Nākānelua-Richards
Director Community Relations
For 36 years, Debbie Nākānelua-Richards has represented Hawaiian Airlines as a distinguished community leader and brand ambassador in the Hawaiian Islands and around the world.
As Director – Community Relations, Nākānelua-Richards spearheads the strategic community efforts of Hawai‘i’s largest airlines, ensuring that its community presence in Hawai‘i is maintained and in line with the company’s mission and values. She joined Hawaiian Airlines in 1978 as a member of its promotions team and has held numerous cross-departmental roles including reservations, sales, marketing, advertising and promotions, and government relations, before overseeing community relations efforts for the airline. Under her leadership, the airline has made many community developments including the creation of the Hawaiian Airlines Team Kōkua, which oversees the airline’s community giving, including the deployment of more than 1,000 employee volunteers and their family members every year to assist and support communities throughout the Islands.
As a Miss Hawai‘i 1984 title holder, Nākānelua-Richards has served as Hawai‘i’s ambassador of aloha, representing Hawai‘i and sharing its culture and values with the world. She currently serves on the board of directors of numerous native Hawaiian organizations and community groups including Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Hawaiian Cultural Program Advisory Council (HCPAC), Miss Hawai‘i Organization and Friends of Honolulu City Lights. In addition, she serves as co-chair of Aloha Festivals, Hawai‘i’s oldest and largest cultural celebration that attracts more than 100,000 people to its month-long series of events in September.
She is also an accomplished hula dancer who has studied under the direction of revered hula master Maiki Aiu Lake, and has performed in almost every showroom in Waikīkī. Every Sunday night for the past 25 years, Debbie can be found dancing hula for an audience of visitors and local residents at Halekūlani, a luxury oceanfront resort in Waikīkī.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Nākānelua-Richards graduated from Maryknoll School and studied at Chaminade University.
President, Dr. Bradley ‘Kai’ Fox
Aquaculture Extension Specialist, University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program
Kai was born and raised in Nu‘uanu, O‘ahu. He graduated from the University Laboratory School (ʻ96) and attended the University of Redlands (ʻ00), where he obtained a bachelor of science in biology.
He returned to O‘ahu and worked for two years at The Oceanic Institute, where he rediscovered his love for fishing and diving. That experience led him to pursue a master’s degree (’05) and Ph.D. (’08) in fish physiology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. After working as an extension specialist at UHM and in the private sector in the field of aquaculture for several years, Kai took a job as and Instructor at Windward Community College where he oversees the Sustainable Agriculture program. In addition to serving on this board, Kai is also a board member for ULS and serves as an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering at UHM. He currently lives in Nu‘uanu with his wife, Catherine, and three dogs.
