Featured Speakers and Chefs

Paula Daniels is Co-founder, Chief of What’s Next, and Founding Chair of the Center for Good Food Purchasing. The Center for Good Food Purchasing uses the power of procurement to create a transparent and equitable food system that prioritizes the health and well-being of people, animals, and the environment, through the nationally networked adoption and implementation of the Good Food Purchasing Program by large institutions. There are now over 60 institutions in more than 20 cities across the US enrolled in this Program, including in Hawai’i. The program, which received a 2018 Future Policy award from the World Future Council, UN FAO and IFOAM Organics International.

Paula is a lawyer and has held a number of senior positions in government in California and Los Angeles, including as Senior Advisor on Food Policy to Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles. She has also taught food policy at UCLA (where she is currently a lecturer teaching a class in agroecology), UC Berkeley, USC, Vermont Law School, and is an Ashoka Fellow and a Stanton Fellow of the Durfee Foundation.

She is of the kanaka maoli Daniels family of Maui and maintains a family residence in Kula.

Jayson Watts is the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Mahi Pono, LLC, a Maui farming company focused on addressing Hawaii’s food security issues and developing high-quality produce to enhance Hawaii’s economy. With over 400 employees, the company is transforming 41,000 acres of vacant former sugar cane land into a thriving, diversified agriculture hub in Maui’s central plain.

A graduate of Baldwin High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Watts has a history of building sustainable community development initiatives and public-private partnerships.

Before joining Mahi Pono in 2019, the Wailuku resident served as special assistant to the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and as senior advisor to two Hawaii Lieutenant Governors. As Senior Advisor in the Lieutenant Governor’s office, Watts spearheaded the Lieutenant Governor’s policy agenda, including the creation of the state’s first formalized farm-to-school pilot initiative, ‘Aina Pono, within the Hawaii State Department of Education.

Prior to that, Watts served as the assistant sergeant at arms of the Hawaii State Senate, as Legislative Director to the Senate Majority Caucus Leader, and as a congressional intern and later staff assistant to the late U.S. Representative Patsy T. Mink.

In 2022, Watts was appointed by the Hawaii Governor and confirmed by the Senate to the Board of Directors of the state’s Agribusiness Development Corporation and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Food Industry Association, University of Hawaii Alumni Association, as a U.S. Secretary of Commerce appointee to the Hawaii Pacific Export Council and most recently appointed by Alaska Airlines to its Inaugural Hawaii Community Advisory Board to assist with community input on business operations and its $1.9B merger with Hawaiian Airlines.

Christa has been in the food service industry for nearly 35 years, maintaining  ACF Executive Chef Certification for 15 years. A classically trained chef, Christa’s focus was centered on all things grown within a day’s drive. No matter the style of cuisine; North and South American, Pacific Rim, European to the Caribbean, passion for flavor and food history have always been the driving forces.

Having spent eight years in the Bay Area, 17 years in Portland Oregon, and the last 9 years in Hawai’i,  this “Westcoaster’s” career has ranged from prep cook to regional chef (and all the chef positions in between), General Manager, Finance, Safety, Procurement, Training to most recently, District Manager for Flik808. Her career is and always has been focused on farm to fork and seasonal food, and her life focused around family. For Christa, having the ability to work and teach all aspects of food sustainability in restaurants and schools has been truly great and rewarding, but pales in comparison to being a mom. Her daughter, Sarah, is by far her greatest accomplishment.

Looking back to move forward is the key to sustainable success. Working closely with the Kamehameha Schools team driving efforts to impact positively Hawaii’s food sustainability platform is a huge step in the right direction. She’s glad to note that the day when 50% grown here not flown here local spend baseline for all is much closer than it is far.

Mike is the Vice President, Government Relations & Community Affairs for Hawai‘i Pacific Health (HPH) where he has served for the last 24 years.  Mike leads HPH’s government relations and community engagement efforts for the non-profit health care system. Hawai‘i Pacific Health is a not-for-profit health care system comprised of its four medical centers – Kapi‘olani, Pali Momi, Straub and Wilcox and more than 70 convenient locations statewide with a mission of creating a healthier Hawai‘i.

Mike is engaged with a number of organizations who share a common mission of creating a healthier Hawai‘i serving on the boards of Bikeshare Hawai‘i, March of Dimes-Hawai‘i Chapter, Alzheimer’s Association, Hawai‘i Economic Association, Lanakila Pacific Foundation, and Honolulu County’s Department of Parks and Recreation.  

Mike is a graduate of Maryknoll High School and earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Economics and Government and received his MA in Economics and MBA from the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa, and Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law.

Randolph Moore was named interim deputy superintendent of operations on May 13, 2024, to oversee key centralized functions in the Department, including the state offices responsible for facilities, fiscal services, talent management and information technology.

Moore spent over three decades in executive roles at major institutions in Hawai’i, including Castle & Cooke and Kane’ohe Ranch. Upon retiring, he earned his teaching degree from Chaminade University and pursued a second career teaching math at Central Middle School, now named Ke’elikolani Middle. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Swarthmore College and a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Moore then joined the HIDOE’s executive leadership team as assistant superintendent of what was then known as the Office of Facilities and Support Services. After retiring a second time, Moore was appointed by two governors to the Board of Regents for the University of Hawai’i system, where he served for a decade, including four terms as regents chairperson and three terms as vice chairperson.