Kelly Takaya King
Kelly Takaya King holds the County Council seat for the South Maui residency area.
She is the Chair of the Climate Action, Resilience, and Environment Committee.
Applications open for new Youth Council
On June 21, 2021, Councilmember Kelly T. King hosted a virtual town hall on sustainable and regenerative tourism with panelists Dr. Genesis Young, Orion Cruz, and Ekolu Lindsey.
Councilmember Kelly Takaya King presented virtually to ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability’s World Congress Circular Development Session on April 14, 2001. Her video presentation highlights her work and goals for Maui in the field of sustainability, especially toward closed-loop, circular economic development. The World Congress was hosted from Malmo, Sweden, and brought together sustainability leaders from around the globe. Maui County has joined ICLEI’s Circle City Scan Pilot Project as one of five municipalities in the United States to be invited into the program this year. The program will assist Maui County in developing the systems needed to transition into a more circular economy, a goal of Councilmember King who currently serves on the Board of Directors of ICLEI-USA. To view the event program and full video of the World Congress Circular Development Session, visit https://worldcongress.iclei.org/update/circular-development
COVID-19 Town Hall 2.0 online on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (January 14, 2021): Council to continue legislative oversight over county’s pandemic response, welcomes collaboration with administration http://mauicounty.us/for-immediate-release-council-to-continue-legislative-oversight-over-countys-pandemic-response-welcomes-collaboration-with-administration/
Maui County Councilperson Kelly Takaya King joins National Sustainability Board of Directors
Councilmember Kelly Takaya King has joined the Board of Directors of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI USA), the leading global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments committed to sustainability. The ICLEI USA Board members are public- and private-sector leaders from across the country, including mayors and county executives representing diverse regions. ICLEI’s Board helps drive the organization strategically and ensures that ICLEI’s value to its local government members continues to meet and exceed expectations.
“I am truly honored to join this impressive group and look forward to action-oriented discussions on renewable energy, managed retreat, and other solutions to our climate crisis,” said Councilmember King. “I’m especially excited to bring the unique perspective of island resiliency to the membership!”
Councilmember King will serve on a Board comprised of fellow local leaders including Board Chair Brigid Shea, Commissioner of Travis County, TX; Board Vice-Chair Pam O’Connor, former Mayor of City of Santa Monica, CA; and Board Treasurer Matthew Appelbaum, Former Mayor of City of Boulder, CO; Frank Cownie, Mayor, Des Moines, IA; David Driskell, Principal with Baird + Driskell Planning in Seattle, WA; Bill Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA; Harvey Ruvin, Clerk of the Courts Miami-Dade County, FL; Dan Stiles, Founding Partner at Stiles.Legal and Senior Strategic Advisor, and General Counsel to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project; and Meghna Tare, Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of Texas Arlington.
“Island leaders operate on the frontlines of the climate emergency,” said Angie Fyfe, Executive Director of ICLEI USA. We are delighted to welcome Kelly King to our Board. Her ability to develop innovations in the public and private sector serves as an ambitious example for our members across the country.”
About ICLEI USA
ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability is the leading global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in more than 100 countries, we support local governments to deliver their self-determined sustainability policy and drive local action for low-emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular development. Our members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships, and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability.
ICLEI USA is the United States country office of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and the leading technical experts on greenhouse-gas emissions accounting, climate action, and resilience and sustainability planning. Along with our ClearPath tool for local greenhouse gas emissions accounting, we remain firmly positioned as the experts in the industry through our development of the U.S. Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the Local Government Operations Protocol, and the Recycling and Composting Protocol.
Link to ICLEI website press release: https://icleiusa.org/kelly-takaya-king-joins-board-of-iclei/
Link to ICLEI Board of Directors: https://icleiusa.org/about-us/who-we-are/board/
For Immediate Release: December 23, 2019
Council resolution recognizes climate emergency and commits to “Just Transition” to safe climate
WAILUKU, Hawaiʻi — The Maui County Council has recognized “a climate emergency, which threatens humanity and the natural world” and is committed to a “Just Transition” to a safe climate, with the adoption of Resolution 19-209 on Friday, Council Chair Kelly Takaya King announced today.
Entitled “Acknowledging a Climate Emergency and Committing to an Immediate Just Transition and Emergency Mobilization Effort to Restore a Safe Climate,” the resolution was introduced by King and adopted by a 9-0 vote. The resolution cites a variety of reports—and dire projections—on the global and local impact of sea-level rise and other climate-change effects.
The resolution notes the Countywide Policy Plan, adopted by ordinance in 2010, includes an official policy to “reduce Maui County’s contribution to global climate change.” King said she isn’t deterred by the Trump Administration’s refusal to have the United States join other nations in following the 2016 Paris Climate Accord.
“We don’t have time to wait for a change in the national administration to fight climate change,” said King, who is in her second two-year term on the council, holding the South Maui residency seat. “We need to partner with anyone and everyone—locally, national, globally—who is willing to help us make a just transition to a safe climate.”
Rita Ryan of the Climate Reality Project offered support for the resolution, citing climate-change risks to island communities both in Hawaiʻi and throughout the world.
“Poorer and island nations are going to suffer the most, and that’s a climate injustice,” Ryan said. “Our cultural and anthropologic resources are being lost to sea-level rise right here on Maui.”
The resolution says the “Just Transition” principle—first forged by the BlueGreen Alliance of labor unions and environmental-justice groups—“is a framework for a fair shift to an economy that is ecologically sustainable, equitable and just for all its members.”
Under the resolution, the county commits “to countywide action rooted in equity, self-determination, culture, tradition and the belief that people locally and around the world have the right to clean, healthy and adequate air, water, land, food, education and shelter.”
Another resolution, to be considered at Friday’s special council meeting, would create a new standing committee, the Climate Change and Resilience Committee, to be chaired by King. More information is available on the council website, MauiCounty.us.
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Public documents on the settlement of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, et al.:
County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, et al., U.S. Supreme Court Docket 18-260
Webinars
Access To Food features Rich Yust of Maui Food Bank, Linda Love of Maui Food Hub, Evan Ryan from the Pono Grown Farm Center, and Steve Rose from Lipoa Street Farmers’ Market.
Backyard Gardens features Jenny Pell of Ohana Gardens, Jennifer Karaca of Common Ground Collective, and Lauryn Rego representing the Maui Nui Food Alliance.
Food Security features Dania Novack Katz of Edible Hawaiian Islands, Gerry Ross and Janet Simpson of Kupa’a Farms, and Chef Jeff Scheer.
Newsletter
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- Q1, 2018
Councilmember King supports the use of COM Connect, an app launched by the administration to help residents share information and report important issues around the county. The app is free.
COM Connect app: Read press release
Staff
- Axel Beers, Executive Assistant
- Ellen McKinley, Executive Assistant
- Sarah Sexton, Executive Assistant
Contact
Email: kelly.king@mauicounty.us
Kalana O Maui Building
200 South High St.
Seventh Floor
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
Ph : (808) 270-7108
Fax: (808) 270-7119
Residency Area:
South Maui
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