The Life and Accomplishments of Jacqueline Kozak Thiel

Jacqueline Kozak Thiel learned at an early age that it is her â€Å"kuleana to get involved and to give all she has got during her time on this Earth. Born in Pennsylvania, she arrived in Maui in 2003, one week after graduating from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York with a Bachelors of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences with concentrations in environmental science, social work, and philosophy. Last year, she was appointed to the position of State Sustainability Coordinator and is intent on translating Hawai`i’s sustainability goals enshrined in Act 181 into collaborative action. Through her interagency position she plans to â€Å"coordinate across state departments and with counties, federal agencies, and community partners to support progress on Hawaii’s interconnected sustainability goals.† Based on the five goals – Way of Life, Economy, Environment and Natural Resources, Community and Social Well-Being, and Kanaka Maoli and Island Values – outlined in Act 181, Ms. Thiel intends to focus her efforts on â€Å"areas of clean energy transformation, local food production, natural resource management, waste reduction, green jobs creation, education, climate change adaptation, smart growth, cultural vitality and community health.† The State Sustainability Coordinator position puts Ms. Thiel in a unique position. Although hosted in the Chairperson’s Office at the Department of Land and Natural Resources, there is not an official â€Å"Office of Sustainability† or dedicated staff.