LahainaTown Action Committee elected its new board of directors at its Annual Meeting on Jan. 20 at the Pioneer Inn.

LAHAINA – LahainaTown Action Committee (LAC) hosted its Annual Meeting on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Pioneer Inn Courtyard in Lahaina.

The evening marked the organization’s 31 years in action, fostering the historical, cultural and commercial vitality of its treasured town and the greater West Maui community.

The cornerstone of the evening featured LAC Board President Snehal Patel presenting the awards for the 2019 LahainaTown Action Committee Business of the Year to Pioneer Inn and Volunteer of the Year to Annie Albrecht.

“Both recipients have gone above and beyond in supporting the events and initiatives of the LahainaTown Action Committee for numerous years and are well-deserving of their respective awards,” said Patel.

“Annie has been volunteering with LahainaTown Action Committee for over 25 years, and always with such a spirit of aloha,” he continued.

“Pioneer Inn is a business that can always be counted on. They are always willing to help the community and host numerous nonprofit events and community meetings. This year, they cooked over 200 pounds of sweet potatoes for the annual Thanksgiving Feast for Those in Need.”

The meeting included remarks by State Rep. Angus McKelvey, who discussed priorities for the state legislature and also spoke about the importance of the community, county and state working together. He encouraged attendees to follow the bills being presented and to provide feedback.

“Challenge us,” McKelvey said. “We want to hear from you; we have to do this together.”

In his address, Patel shared that the organization was founded to stop a proposed closure to Front Street that would have caused irreparable harm to Lahaina businesses and families, and that LAC continues to embody the spirit in which it was founded through its firm commitment to address the evolving challenges of the West Side’s economic and cultural landscapes.

To that end, LAC is actively seeking new members and invites business, organizational and community members wishing to make a difference to reach out to the organization.

Patel announced the election of four new members to the board of directors.

He was re-elected to another three-year term.

New to the board are U’i Kahue, nominated by Dawn Fujiwara; Dave Douglas, nominated by Lahaina Restoration Foundation Executive Director Theo Morrison; Greg Ames, who was previously serving as an interim board member; and Lisa Agdeppa, nominated by LAC past Board President Connie Sutherland.

The 2020 Board of Directors for LahainaTown Action Committee includes Jack Starr, Kimo’s; George (Kapule) Paoa, Paoa Productions; Greg Ames, T S Restaurants; Dave Douglas, Old Lahaina Coffee Co.; Lisa Agdeppa, JLL Old Lahaina Center; U’i Kahue, Maui Grown 808 LLP; Sean Corpuel, Cool Cat Cafe; Mousa Hassan, Paradise Lahaina; Tambara Garrick, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.; Sne Patel, Peter Lik Gallery and Rep. McKelvey.