Department of Land and Natural Resources

 

James “Jay” Carpio, Maui Nui Member

1st term: 7/1/25 – 6/30/29 (began service 1/8/26)

 

James (Jay) John Kamealoha Carpio, a Native Hawaiian born and raised in Wailuku, Maui, brings a lifetime of hands-on conservation and ʻāina stewardship to public service. He has worked as a hunter and guide, rancher, land manager, master fisherman and farmer, grounded in the day-to-day realities of conserving Hawaiʻi’s land, water and marine resources. Carpio holds a Bachelor of Science in agriculture and horticulture from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and is a co-founder of the Maui Nui Makai Network and The Limu Hui, two community-based conservation organizations focused on restoring nearshore ecosystems and traditional resource management. He helped revive the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council and, as chair of its Fish Committee, co-founded the Wailuku Coastal Managed Makai Area with his late mentor, kupuna Takeo Miyaguchi, helping expand community-driven marine conservation across Maui Nui.