Featured Speakers and Chefs

Dane K. Wicker, born in Honolulu, is a committed public servant dedicated to advancing Hawaii’s economy and community welfare. A graduate of Kahuku High School and the University of Hawaii at West Oahu, he began his career in public service at Honolulu Hale, and then to Washington, D.C., as a Legislative Aide. Returning to Hawaii in 2011, he supported State Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and played a key role in shaping Hawaii’s fiscal policies.

As Deputy Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT), Dane now leads strategic initiatives to diversify Hawaii’s economy, strengthen local industries, and foster sustainable development. His entrepreneurial spirit is reflected in ventures across retail, consulting, and agriculture, contributing to local economic resilience. Dane’s diverse background underscores his commitment to enhancing Hawaii’s economy and community through innovative, impactful service.

Mary Cummins is a seasoned professional in agriculture, operations, and management, bringing a dynamic perspective to the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation’s ‘Eat, Think, Drink’ panel. With seven years of experience at Cummins Farms in southern Idaho, Mary developed a strong foundation in farm operations, focusing on efficient record-keeping and harvest coordination. She holds a BBA in Management, complemented by a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification, and has completed the Produce Safety Grower Training, the Modern Hydroponic Certification Course, and the Holistic Financial Planning course.

Mary’s career reflects her expertise in operations and project management. In her corporate positions, she has excelled as an operations coordinator, an office manager spearheading digital transformation for a small business, and as a contract operations manager leading teams across the US and Costa Rica. Her strengths include optimizing supply chains, conducting precise data analysis, and managing financial operations, consistently driving efficiency and innovation. 

In March 2024, Mary and her husband Rob acquired Waipoli Hydroponic Greens, a respected Maui-based operation with over 25 years of history in sustainable produce. They supply high-quality greens to wholesalers and various Hawaiian restaurants, maintaining stringent food safety certifications, adhering to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and are trained in Worker Protection Standards, reinforcing their commitment to quality and sustainable agriculture.

Vivian Li is the Quality Assurance (QA) Manager at HPC Foods, Ltd. Her passion for food safety began while working in her family’s restaurant business, where she experienced routine establishment inspections conducted by the State Department of Health. This early exposure inspired her to pursue a degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Following graduation, Li joined HPC Foods as a QA Analyst, where she was responsible for conducting pre-operation inspections, performing quality checks, monitoring Critical Control Points, and carrying out pathogen testing for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, STEC, Listeria spp., as well as quantitative testing (i.e. aerobic counts, coliforms, yeast, and mold) on food, water, and environmental samples.

In her current role as QA Manager, Li oversees the implementation and maintenance of the company’s Food Safety Management System across its distribution warehouse and three production facilities, ensuring compliance with state, regulatory, and customer standards. She also manages the company’s microbiological testing laboratory and QA department operations to uphold product quality and safety. Through collaborative efforts with her team, HPC Foods has achieved SQF certification for its fresh-cut produce processing facility and laboratory accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard for microbiological testing—advancing the company’s mission to deliver accurate, accessible, and efficient testing services for food, water, and environmental samples for Hawai‘i.

Jon Miyabuchi is the Region President for FreshPoint Hawaii (formerly Armstrong Produce/Kula Produce). Jon is a highly accomplished, dynamic, and well-regarded C-Suite executive and change agent with extensive experience directing award-winning transformations and best-in-class strategies in diverse, fast-paced, and ever-changing environments. Additionally, he holds a proven track record of success driving operational excellence and best practices to maximize positioning of the organization as an industry leader in a highly competitive landscape. Prior to joining Fresh Point Hawaii, Jon served as the Executive Vice President at United Laundry Services, the Vice President of Retail Operations for Hawaii Petroleum, and the CEO for Sushi Go International, amongst other corporate and managerial positions. Jon earned an MBA from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Hawaii.

Lisa Rhoden is the Executive Director at North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership. She is a long-time advocate for agriculture in Hawai‘i, with a strong background in food safety, distribution, and agronomy. Her passion lies in supporting locally grown food and advancing on-farm food safety. She began her career as a conservation planner, working with farmers across O‘ahu, then managed agronomy and conservation practices for a seed corn farm. Eventually, she oversaw two dozen small farmers at the HAF Ag Park in Kunia and co-founded Oʻahu Fresh.

Through these roles, Lisa developed a deep interest in on-farm food safety after witnessing a wide range of practices—from excellent to those needing improvement. She is committed to helping farmers meet foundational food safety standards, believing that doing so will expand market access, boost resilience, and reduce Hawaiʻi’s dependence on imports.

As Executive Director of North Shore EVP, Lisa leads the team in developing programs that support farmers in implementing effective food safety practices and achieving USDA Harmonized GAP/+ certification. The team manages the statewide Hawai‘i GroupGAP program, and Lisa offers administrative support to the regional, multi-state Farmers Group GroupGAP initiative. She is dedicated to building long-term partnerships to sustain GroupGAP programs nationwide.

Lisa is a graduate of the Hawai‘i Ag Leadership Program (Class XIV) and currently serves as the Vice President of the Agriculture Leadership Foundation of Hawaii. She holds a master’s in environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University. Lisa lives on Kauai with her husband, son, and four dogs.