Board Members
Lynette Cruz - President
Lynette Cruz is a Waiʻanae resident and long time Hawaiian Sovereignty and social justice advocate. She is a retired professor of anthropology and volunteers on multiple mālama ʻāina projects.
Sparky Rodrigues - Vice President
Sparky Rodrigues is a founding member of Mālama Mākua, a member of Waiʻanae Moku Kupuna Council, and a Mauna Kea kiaʻi. Husband to Leandra Wai and a descendant of kupuna who signed the Kūʻē Petitions, he stands firm in his pro Hawaiian and pro ʻāina stances. He is striving for long term solutions for houseless Hawaiians.
Kenji Cataldo - Secretary
Kenji Cataldo is a community-based oral historian and media producer who hosts the Hawaiʻi Rising podcast for the Hawaiʻi People’s Fund. Born in Japan and raised in Minnesota, Kenji lives in Honolulu and is honored to support the work of Mālama Mākua.
Trisha Martin - Treasurer
For the past two decades, Trisha has been the go-to technical pro in both technology and healthcare industries working for leading organizations. On the side, she is equally passionate about cultural and environmental justice, where you will find her rolling up her sleeves adding a little heart by mixing purpose with profession.
Vince Kanaʻi Dodge - Board Member
Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Hungarian Jewish father, Vince Kanaʻi Dodge has called Waiʻanae home since 1979. Initially introduced to Mākua Valley by his father Dr. Fred Dodge, he has spent the last 25+ years a dedicated member to Mālama Mākua. Through his work with PLACES Hawaiʻi, Kaʻala Farm’s Pua Kaiāulu, and Mālama Mākua, Vince has guided generations in salt-making, ʻāina stewardship, and aloha ʻāina practice.
Kyle Kajihiro - Board Member
Kyle Kajihiro (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His research interests include militarization, Indigenous resurgence, demilitarization social movements, and carceral geographies. He works with a number of grassroots demilitarization and Hawaiian Sovereignty initiatives in Hawaiʻi.
Mikey Inouye - Board Member
Mikey Inouye is a community organizer and filmmaker. His first feature documentary “Mālama Mākua” won the Audience Choice Award at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival in 2025. Mikey believes that movement-driven independent film serves as a powerful tool for organizing communities and empowering them to fight for collective liberation.
Bailie Smith - Board Member
Bailie Smith (she/her) is a PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is a lecturer in the department and is working to finish her dissertation that is based on work in Mākua Valley with Mālama Mākua.
