Board of
Directors
We are pleased to introduce you to our Board of Directors, a group of dedicated individuals who guide Hanalei Initiative’s mission through their diverse expertise and deep commitment to the North Shore community. We invite you to explore and learn more about the amazing people behind our work.
Mikayla Hart
President
Mikayla is originally from Kaua’i, grew up on the North Shore, and attended Hanalei Elementary and Kapa’a High schools. After spending over a decade in the mainland building a career in social and environmental impact, she’s returned home to Kaua’i and has been leveraging her expertise to support local impact-oriented organizations such as the Kaua’i Federal Credit Union’s Economic Resiliency Center, Aloha School and the Hanalei Initiative.
Mikayla’s career has centered on building impact strategies that demonstrate what’s good for society is good for business. Working at the intersection of corporate sustainability consulting and finance, Mikayla’s spent the last decade advising Fortune100 companies as a Managing Director at Accenture, leading a team of 200 consultants focused on corporate sustainability, leading nonprofit Boards such as Climate Action Pathways for Schools where she serves as President, and most recently launching an impact investing fund Congruence Capital.
Mikayla has published various reports on sustainability and value creation in partnership with organizations such as the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, and was recognized as a top global female executive by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Mikayla began her career with foundations in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions, and received executive certificates from Yale University and INSEAD, an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, and a BBA from the University of Hawaii in Finance and International Business.
Mina Morita
Vice President
Mina Morita has called Hanalei Valley home since 1977, where she and her husband raised their two daughters. She now has five grandchildren and Mina, like all families on the island, worries about her children and grandchildren’s’ future here on Kauai. After retiring from close to twenty years in State government as a legislator, commissioner and administrator, she hopes to use that experience to preserve the beauty, history, and culture of Kauai's northshore and work towards solutions to make its communities more sustainable and resilient.
Janet Kass
Treasurer
Janet Kass lives in Kapaa. She moved to Kauai in 2017 when she retired from her job as Chief Financial Officer of an electric cooperative in Michigan. She served on the board of directors of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) for six years, and on the board of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Kauai Region for three years. She plays the piano and leads the music for one of the services at St. Catherine Church, where she also chairs the Finance Council. She moved to Kauai because she loved tropical plants, which she used to grow indoors in pots. Now, for fun and exercise, she spends a bit of time almost every day attempting to tame the jungle of her yard.
Polly Phillips
Secretary
Polly Phillips brings over 40 years of diverse experience in public service, education, and sustainable energy to her role as a board
member of The Hanalei Initiative. A long-time resident of Wainiha on Kaua‘i’s North Shore, Polly is deeply rooted in the local
community and has dedicated her career to advancing policies and initiatives that strengthen Kaua‘i’s resilience, sustainability, and
quality of life.
In 2018, she was appointed to Mayor Kawakami's administration as the North Shore Community Liaison following historic flooding,
where she helped coordinate recovery efforts and community outreach. She also serves as a liaison for state and government
matters, helping coordinate communication and advocacy efforts beyond Kaua‘i.
Polly also serves as Vice President of Solar Plus, a Hanalei-based renewable energy company that focuses on off-grid systems and
microgrid automation. Her leadership has helped expand clean energy solutions across the island.
A passionate educator, Polly spent over twenty-five years spanning time as a Science Teacher at Kapa‘a High and Intermediate, over
a decade at Kula High and Intermediate as Principal, Science Teacher, and College Counselor, and later taught at Hawai‘i Technology
Academy as well as private tutoring. She holds both a Master of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from
the University of Florida.
Polly’s commitment to community runs deep. She has served on the boards of Aloha School, Hanalei School Community Council, the
Hanalei to Ha‘ena Community Association, the District 15 Democratic Council, and actively volunteers with St. William Church and
other local initiatives.
Dr. Richard March Goodale, MD
Dr. Richard Goodale was born in Līhu‘e and spent much of his childhood exploring and
growing up in Hā‘ena. He and his wife, Karen, now make their home in Kalihiwai.
Doc Goodale graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1977, where he was a six-
time All-American swimmer. After earning his medical degree from the John A. Burns
School of Medicine at the University of Hawai‘i in 1982, he completed his internship in
the University of Hawaii’s Integrated Surgical Residency Program.
He went on to serve as a General Medical Officer in the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal
from 1983 to 1985 before returning home to Kaua‘i. From 1986 until his retirement in
2018, Doc cared for generations of Kaua‘i families as a physician with the Kaua‘i
Medical Clinic.
Currently, he is a Manager for Little Britain Holdings, a family real estate holding
company, and stays active in community service. He is President of the Kaua‘i Museum
Board of Trustees and Treasurer for the Līhu‘e Cemetery Association and a Board
Member for a California condominium association. He also served for many years on
the Wilcox Hospital Foundation Board and continue to support several charitable trusts
and foundations serving on their distribution committees.
A dedicated volunteer with Kaua‘i Ocean Recreation Experience, Doc helps people with
disabilities enjoy surfing and other ocean adventures. In his free time, he loves surfing,
snowboarding, and fishing. Above all, he takes great pride in carrying on his family’s
rich legacy of service to Kaua‘i through education, healthcare, and historic preservation.
Alanna Bauman
Born and raised on Kaua'i, Alanna received her Master of Science in Quantitative Economics from California Lutheran University in 2019. After five and a half years in the mainland, Hawaii called her home, and she worked as a Legislative Aide for Representative Nakamura during the 2020 Legislative Session. The Covid-19 pandemic brought her back to Kaua'i, and over the past few years, she began working part-time at various nonprofits, including The Kaua'i Independent Food Bank, Leadership Kaua'i, Kaunalewa and led a Financial Forecasting course through L.E.l. of Kaua'ï's Community Innovation Grant for Career Technical Education.
In July of 2022, Alanna started at Kaua'ï Planning & Action Alliance as the Early Childhood Education (ECE) System Coordinator in partnership with Kamehameha Schools. Professional designations include a Certificate in Forecasting from the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF) and The Leadership Challenge Certification completed in 2022.
