Peter Matlock

Bioeconomy Research & Commercialization Specialist

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Peter Matlock is working with the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo to develop an Institute for Tropical BioEconomy and continues to work with the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) to develop commercialization demonstrations for new bio-based fuel/chemical technologies.  He has over thirty years’ experience in industrial, agricultural, and medical life sciences, started three companies from concept stage, worked in business development and management with start-up companies to leading multinationals, testified on energy policy before the Hawaiʻi PUC, and promoted commercialization of research technologies at Stanford University, LLNL’s Biomedical Division/Human Genome Project, and most recently as Director of Technology Commercialization at JBEI.  He has an undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College and graduate degrees in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford.

Noel Morin

President

Big Island Electric Vehicle Association

Noel is a Silicon Valley product management veteran. He is a small business owner, climate action advocate, and a supporter of sustainable transportation and renewable energy. He wears a number of volunteer hats, all related to climate action, resiliency, and STEM education. He is on the board of a number of local organizations - Hawaiʻi EV Association, Big Island EV Association, Hawaiʻi Red Cross, Sustainable Energy Hawaiʻi, Think B.I.G, and The Success Factory. Noel is also Hawaiʻi Island Citizens’ Climate Lobby leader and Climate Reality Leadership Corps member.   Noel has a Masters in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. He resides in Hilo.

Kathleen Rooney

Director of Transportation Policy and Programs

Ulupono Initiative

Katie is Ulupono Initiative’s lead on transportation-related policy and programs in advancement of cleaner, multi-modal transportation in Hawai‘i and reducing our dependency on cars. Her current projects include rightsizing parking policies and helping expand immediate transportation choices and access to those choices. 

She brings 15 years of national experience in the transportation and planning, combining both to advance community visions and goals in many diverse communities across the nation. For example, using a combination of analytics and storytelling, she helped two West Virginia towns strategize around health, leading to two trail program implementation grants. She also helped to conceptualize a resiliency center in Washington State, operationalize multimodal accessibility metrics in Florida, and develop a statewide transportation demand management framework for New York State. 

Jessica "Jess" Thompson

Executive Director

PATH: Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawai'i

Jess is the Executive Director at People’s Advocacy for Trails Hawaiʻi (PATH), a 501c3 nonprofit organization. PATH’s mission is to safely connect people and places on Hawaiʻi Island with pathways. Besides advocating for safe and accessible walking and biking conditions, PATH  coordinates the Safe Routes to School Program and HIBike/Hawaiʻi Island Bikeshare in Hawaiʻi County. While other municipalities are seeing significant dips in bikeshare ridership during the pandemic, Hawaiʻi County is experiencing an INCREASE in ridership.  Prior to PATH, Jess served as the Executive Director at Oregon Walks where she advocated for jurisdictional transfer at the state level, helped pass Portland’s comprehensive Pedestrian PDX Plan, served on the steering committee for Portland’s first bus-rapid transit lanes committee and Portland’s Vision Zero Taskforce. Her favorite projects included cohosting hundreds of walks with community partners.  Daily walks have been a part of Jess’ routine from Cornell College in Iowa; graduate school at Portland State University; during her days as a public-school teacher and instructional coach; and most recently in her work as a nonprofit leader in active transportation. Jess deeply believes that ALL people deserve access to safe, attractive, and convenient walking and biking conditions.   When she is not working on PATH projects, you can find Jess taking her daily walks in and around Papaikou, where she lives with her mom, husband, and son. 

Aki Marceau

Director of Electrification of Transportation - Hawaiian Electric

Aki Marceau oversees the strategy, design and deployment of Hawaiian Electric’s electrification of transportation solutions across the Company’s five-island service territory. Prior to joining Hawaiian Electric, Marceau served in policy and planning roles at Elemental Excelerator, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and Parson Brinckerhoff, now WSP. 
Marceau serves on the City & County of Honolulu Planning Commission and on the executive board of Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE).  She’s been recognized as an Omidyar Fellow, Pacific Business News Women Who Mean Business and Hawaiʻi Business Magazine 20 for the Next 20.