Kihei Resident - 26 years
BA Georgia State Univeristy '88
Business Owner - Kihei Ice Inc. - 20 years
Inaugural Class HAPA's Kuleana Academy '16
Tina has over two decades of work experience in Hawaii both as a hospitality professional in Food & Beverage and a small business owner in Manufacturing & Distribution. She is a progressive employer who is responsible for the livelihood of 15 Maui families. She understands the issues faced by business owners working hard to make ends meet in our island economy.
In October 2015, Kihei Ice instituted a $15.00 minimum wage for unskilled production workers, which has risen to $20.00 since the pandemic. It has proven doable and sets the example for a state-wide $15.00 minimum wage.
Tina's interests include travel, tourism, hospitality, dining, Hawaiian outrigger canoe and stand-up paddling with her rottie Foster, and marine activities including diving, snorkeling, sailing, and whale watching.
Professional & Community Advocacy:
2006 - 2011 - Western Ice Association - Tina served on the Board for 5 years, hosting the annual conference on Lana'i in 2011 as chairperson with a theme of Renewable Energy, a foreign concept in the industry at the time.
2012 - Kihei 4th Friday Town Party - In the fall of 2012, Tina worked with South Maui County Council staff to get 4th Friday rolling on the South Side. She spent a year getting that town party established. It is Maui's biggest town party.
2013 - 2015 - Maui Tomorrow Foundation - Tina worked as chair of the Clean Air Committee addressing clean air issues on behalf of South Maui Communities. Helping to educate the public about the Clean Air App to put pressure on the Deptartment of Health to acknowledge burn permit violations related to open field burning conducted upwind of our communities.
2016 - 2018 - After Kuleana Academy, Tina worked to create more responsive, accountable governance. During the 2016 Campaign, she partnered with Kelly King to take the council seat in South Maui. During the 2018 Campaign, she partnered with Keani Rawlins-Fernandez to take the council seat in Molokai, while she simultaneously ran her own successful campaign for State House.
2018 - 2020 - Tina serves as South Maui's incumbent State House Representative. She has advocated for environmental issues like stopping aquarium collecting, preventing the wholesale giveaway of public trust water resources, and a $15.00 minimum wage.
Tina's portfolio of legislation for 2020:
* Disaster Preparedness * Local Recycling Facilities and Manufacturing * All-Payer Health Care
* No Taxes for Organically Farmed Food * Mandating EV Fleets * Phase out Fossil Fuel Power
* Statewide Composting of Green Waste & Food * Green New Deal * Restorative Justice
* Mandating ESG investing of EUTF * Prohibiting Aquarium Fish Collecting off Hawaii Reefs