When Leah Laramee was serving as interim Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation coordinator, she wasn’t afraid to accomplish things.
Laramee collaborated with the University of Hawai‘i to produce a guidance document on the White Houseʻs Justice40 Initiative, ushered through Act 185; a news release from Gov. David Ige‘s office said recently. That Act establishes the Hawai‘i Carbon Smart Land Management Assistance Pilot Program to incentivize carbon sequestration activities.
The hard work paid off, as she was recently named to a position with the State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission on a permanent basis.
“I am honored to be joining the Climate Commission as coordinator,” Laramee said in a release. “I intend to continue my support of the Commissionʻs mission to promote ambitious, climate-neutral, culturally responsive strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in a manner that is clean, equitable, and resilient.”
Before stepping into her current post on an interim basis, Laramee served as a natural resource planner with the DLNR‘s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), the release said. In that position she helped lead the bid and hosting of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in 2016. At that event in Honolulu, Ige launched the Sustainable Hawai‘i Initiative, which set the stage for Hawai‘i to be a leader in worldwide conservation efforts.
Laramee has a master’s of science degree in natural resources and environmental management from the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations with a minor in political science.