Staff
Sonnet Kekilia Coggins
Executive Director
After completing a Masters degree in Education at the University of Virginia, Sonnet moved to France, then later completed a Master of Arts in French Language and Literatures, with a focus on cultural history and interpretation of historic sites. She worked with the Denver Art Museum, then the Williams College Museum of Art, where she co-curated The Field is the World: Williams, Hawaiʻi, and Material Histories in the Making. Sonnet has been with the Conservancy since 2018.
Joannah Thomas
Caretaker
Joannah was raised in Alaska and on Maui, and has traveled extensively. She earned her International Baccalaureate in Wales and a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies and Documentary Film from Pomona College in California. After college, she spent a decade working in documentary film, media, advertising, and technology, before returning to Maui to put down roots. She has been with the Conservancy in a part-time role since 2022.
Chuck Virtue
Administrative Coordinator
Chuck is from Palos Verdes, CA and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in International Business and Finance. After 8 years in Japan, he landed in Hawaii and worked in hospitality for over 20 years on the Big Island and Maui. He has been with the Conservancy in a part-time position since 2021.
Garden Team
Olin Erickson, MauiScapes, LLC
Arborist
Walter Schmid
Gardener
John Witherell
Gardener
