Gary Maunakea-Forth

Gary Maunakea-Forth is a Co-Founder and current ʻĀina Expansion and Re-Development Director of the Waiʻanae Community Re-Development Corporation and MAʻO Organic Farms. For more than 25 years, he has helped guide MAʻO’s growth as a community-based social enterprise integrating organic agriculture, youth development, cultural learning, and aloha ʻāina.

Gary provides leadership for MAʻO’s certified organic farm operations and the expansion and stewardship of its agricultural lands in Lualualei and Mākaha. His work encompasses farm infrastructure, land restoration, production systems, agricultural innovation, and the development of facilities and resources needed to strengthen long-term food security. He also supports on-farm research, farmer learning, and hands-on training opportunities that prepare ʻōpio and emerging mahiʻai for agricultural careers and community leadership.

Gary holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His leadership is grounded in hard work, kuleana, collaboration, and a commitment to restoring the abundance of ʻāina and community. He and his wife, Kukui, reside in Mākaha, where they raised their four children and continue to serve Waiʻanae families and future generations.