Group of SHAC representatives and Hawaii politicians posing for a photo in a lobby with a glass ceiling, waterfalls, and lush greenery.

A close-up of a cluster of green papayas growing on a tall tree, with a few yellowing papayas visible at the bottom. The tree has large, green, split leaves and a textured trunk, and the background shows more papaya trees and foliage.

The Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council (SHAC) was established as a 501(c)(6) in 2011 as a coalition of agriculture groups working to support the growth of Hawaiʻi -grown specialty products.

Our founding members were the Hawaiʻi Papaya Industry Association, Hawaiʻi Coffee Association, and Hawaiʻi Floriculture and Nursery Association.

Today, SHAC’s Board of Directors is composed of two representatives from each member association, bringing our current board to eight active directors.

We are farmers, scientists, processors, community advocates, business owners, and volunteers working to support the growth of Hawaiʻi agriculture.

President of the Board

Eric S. Tanouye is President and General Manager of Hilo-based Green Point Nurseries, which is entering its 3rd generation of agribusiness. Green Point Nurseries is a major grower and exporter of Hawaiʻi’s tropical flowers and foliages, both domestically and internationally, and partners with the University of Hawaiʻi to develop new flower varieties. Additionally, Eric is a founder and President of the Hawaiʻi Floriculture and Nursery Association (HFNA) and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). He was one of SHAC’s founding Board Members in 2011.

Eric Tanouye wearing glasses and a red patterned aloha shirt standing in a greenhouse with rows of potted purple and yellow tropical flowers in the background.

Eric S. Tanouye

Vice President

Colin Hart is the Owner and Farm Manager of Honoliʻi Orchards, a cacao farm located in Paukaʻa on Hawai'i Island. He received his Master's degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the Tropical Plant and Soil Science Department, where his research focused on improving post-harvest practices for cacao in Hawaiʻi. Colin has served as a Director representing the Hawaiʻi Chocolate and Cacao Association (HCCA) on SHAC’s board since 2024.

Colin Hart

Treasurer

Gordon Inouye, a Hilo native, is a farmer, businessman, and entrepreneur with a background in engineering and business. After graduating from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and earning an MBA from St. Mary’s College, he worked as a chief engineer and manager in the shipping and leasing industries. Gordon co-owned Floral Resources/Hawaii and pioneered the potted orchid business with Puna Orchids. He also led Hawaiian Rainbows Business Development and co-founded Puna Flower Power. Gordon has been actively involved in community organizations, youth soccer, and agricultural associations over the years, earning multiple awards for his professional and volunteer contributions. Gordon has served as a Director representing the Hawaiʻi Floriculture and Nursery Association (HMNA) since December 2016.

Gordon Inouye

Secretary

Ralph Gaston is a co-owner of Rusty’s Hawaiian and Isla Custom Coffees. Ralph is a board representative of the Hawaiʻi Coffee Association (HCA), where he previously served as Vice President from 2015 to 2017, and remains an active member. Ralph has managed logistics and contracts for Isla Custom Coffees since 2011, and exports to international markets in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Canada, and France. Ralph has been active with SHAC’s Market Access Program (MAP) grants since 2015, focusing on export marketing for the Hawaiʻi coffee industry. Ralph has managed the HCA’s trade show presence at the Specialty Coffee Association’s (SCA) Expo since 2016, and spearheads SHAC’s work to promote Hawaiʻi coffee exports into Taiwan, Hong Kong & China. Ralph has served on SHAC’s Board since 2013.

Ralph Gaston

Directors

Juli Burden

Director

Juli Burden is a Hawaiʻi-based coffee producer, processing specialist, and researcher working at the intersection of specialty coffee, agroforestry, and agricultural innovation. She manages a diversified coffee orchard in Maunawili and holds multiple Coffee Quality Institute certifications, including Q Grader and Q Processing Professional. Her work explores fermentation science, post-harvest processing, and value-added market development for tropical coffee systems. Juli also serves as a project lead at the Hawaiʻi Agriculture Research Center, where she directs agrivoltaic research integrating specialty crop production with renewable energy landscapes. She has served as a Director representing the Hawaiʻi Coffee Association (HCA) on SHAC’s board since 2026.
Rebecca Hemstead

Director
Rebecca Hemstead studied Agricultural Science and Business at Cornell University and has worked with Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Services since 2020, the largest macadamia farm in the state. She initially conducted sustainability-focused orchard research and now leads business development and marketing initiatives to promote 100% Hawaiʻi-grown macadamia nuts. Rebecca’s work supports local farmers, educates consumers, and keeps agricultural dollars circulating within the Hawaiian islands. She is passionate about strengthening Hawaiʻi’s agricultural economy through sustainable practices, strategic partnerships, and educational outreach. Rebecca has served as a Director representing the Hawaiʻi Macadamia Nut Association (HMNA) on SHAC’s board since 2023.
Andrea Johnson

Director
After developing leadership, attention to detail, and determination skills in the United States Marine Corps, Andrea Johnson later spent five years honing her skills in the retail beverage industry. She is now Director of Sales for the Olson Trust II, building sales for Hāmākua Macadamia Nut Co., Kaʻū Coffee Mill, and O.K. Farms. Andrea offers pro bono consulting for local businesses and volunteers with a local girls flag football team. In her free time, Andrea has set a goal to complete every hike on Hawai'i Island. Her focus is supporting Hawaii products, agriculture, businesses, non-profits, and the community. Andrea serves as the Treasurer of the Hawaiʻi Macadamia Nut Association (HMNA), sits on committees for HCA, and acts as a representative for the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce. Andrea has served as a Director representing HMNA on SHAC’s board since 2024.
Will Lydgate

Director
Born to a family with roots in agriculture, Will Lydgate is now the President of the Hawaiʻi Chocolate and Cacao Association (HCCA) and Owner of Lydgate Farms on Kauaʻi–the state's leader in cacao and chocolate agritourism, with multiple top 50 best designations and a Gold Award winner at Cacao of Excellence. Will is also an accomplished public speaker and his Ted talk Changing the Way We Think About Chocolate sheds light on the specialty chocolate movement, which is based on fine flavor in cacao cultivation and post-harvest processing. Will has served as a Director representing HCCA on SHAC’s board since 2025.

Staff

Suzanne Shriner

Administrator
Suzanne’s mission is to drive innovation in the specialty crop industry and bring Brand Aloha to the world. With a background in engineering sciences, she brings a technical approach to meeting challenges, whether it is pivoting in the new economy or improving crop quality. Suzanne brings over 20 years of experience in the implementation, and management of environmental engineering contracts, including State and Federal projects. She has an additional 15 years of experience in Hawaiʻi small business, farmer-to-farmer education, and non-profit management. With SHAC since 2014, Suzanne has conducted industry-wide strategic planning initiatives, drafted marketing plans, written white papers and organized workshops and trainings. She has served as a grower representative to the USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, the USDA Coffee and Cocoa Crop Germplasm Committee as well as on multiple community boards. She has co-authored six published papers on pest management in Hawaiʻi. Finally, Suzanne is a second-generation coffee farmer based out of the Kona region of Hawaiʻi Island.
Joan Obra

Senior Project Manager

Joan has 16 years of experience in grant writing and 8 years of experience in program management for agricultural projects. Previous projects include technical training for farmers, scientific agricultural studies, export development for Hawaiʻi’s floriculture, papaya, macadamia nuts and coffee industries, and business training and marketing for farmers. Joan reported on food and agricultural issues as a journalist at The Fresno Bee in Fresno, California for seven years before moving to Hawaiʻi in 2011. Joan’s experience as an agriculturalist also extends from farm to table: she is part of a family-owned and operated award-winning coffee farm, mill and roastery in the Ka'u District of Hawaiʻi Island. Joan holds a Master's degree in Journalism and a BA in English Literature and Environmental Science. She has been working with SHAC since 2017.
Mike Miyahira

Finance

Mike’s work with SHAC is focused on technical support and financial management with a broad expertise in succession planning, business governance issues and strategic planning. He currently serves on the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents. Miyahira has been a member of the Advisory Committee for the Hilo Innovation & Manufacturing Center, a development project of the Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation of the State of Hawaiʻi. He is a past adjunct professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, College of Business and Economics, past president of the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, the Big Island Business Council and the Hawaiʻi Island United Way.
Madeleine Longoria Garcia

Communications
Madeleine has a 15-year professional background in the coffee industry, where she worked at every step of the supply chain from harvesting to serving coffee. She worked with and visited producers on three continents, was a barista in six cities, and operated a business in Hawaiʻi. Her experiences brought her to coalition building, community outreach, and working alongside diverse communities. As a public speaker, Madeleine has addressed international audiences at the Pacific Rim Coffee Summit, HCA Conference, SCA Coffee Expo, KCFA Symposium, Taiwan International Coffee Show, and appearances on half a dozen podcasts. Madeleine believes in the power of words and messaging and is the creator behind Our Other Stories, a podcast highlighting diverse stories. Madeleine works as a communications professional, and business strategy and public speaking coach for leaders across the nation. She holds a BA in Business and Leadership. Madeleine served on SHAC’s Board from 2021 to 2025, becoming our Communications Coordinator in 2026.
Ronald Keith

Research Analyst
Ronald has been involved in science and farming for a combined total of 35 years, the last 24 in Hawaiʻi. Ronald has a Master’s of Science in Plant Pathology from Oklahoma State University where he studied the cut and thrust world of plant versus pathogen and the mechanisms used to win the ongoing battle between the two adversaries. Ronald has worked with a variety of crops including tropical fruits, taro, jatropha, and vegetables at the USDA ARS, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and HCEOC, and taught classes in Agricultural Genetics. Since 2012, Ronald has also been the owner-operator of an organic tea farm. Ronald enjoys passing on knowledge to the next generation of farmers in Hawaiʻi and believes that the future of Hawaiʻi agriculture will grow better when we all work with a common goal in mind. He Moku, He Waʻa: Our island is a canoe (We’re all in this together). Ronald joined SHAC as a research analyst in 2026.
Samira Fatemi

Postdoctoral Fellow
Samira is a USDA-NIFA postdoctoral fellow working in collaboration with SHAC and the USDA ARS Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center. Samira is driven by leveraging foundational mycology and microbial ecology to develop unique solutions to current agricultural problems. Her current research explores coffee leaf surface microbiome dynamics in response to infection by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, the causal agent of coffee leaf rust (CLR). Samira earned her Ph.D. in Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University, where she studied the genomics and systematics of a lettuce leaf-associated yeast species to investigate its biotechnological potential for food safety application. She has also completed her M.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue, and a B.S. in Biological Engineering at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.