20 for the Next 20: Kimberly Unemori Thayer, SR Partners

The consultancy’s newest partner brings experience in project management and community organizing, and “a profound love of Maui.”

Kimberly Unemori Thayer has deep ties to her home on Maui. “My grandpa was a pineapple farmer out in Ha‘ikū. I think at one time he was the largest independent grower,” she recalls.

Thayer grew up on the island’s north shore, where her family has lived for generations. She attended James Cook University in Australia, earning a degree in anthropology, but came home after graduation and has been deeply involved with the community since.

When she joined SR Partners (formerly Skog Rassmusen) in 2023, she brought years of experience in project management and community organizing. She has worked in urban planning, and supported native ecosystems and educational projects.

“A profound love of Maui is deep into my soul. I know I can do something to make or do things better, so I will do something to make or do things better,” Thayer says.

In the wake of the devastating wildfires of August 2023, Thayer has worked with the community on several recovery projects, all the while listening to the different viewpoints of residents.

“She leads with aloha and serves with humility,” says Rachael Wong, who met Thayer while cofacilitating the Maui Economic Recovery Commission. “I experienced firsthand how thoughtful, connected, impactful, strategic, collaborative and experienced she is.”

She currently chairs the Maui Planning Commission and hosts regular community meetings. Through her work with SR Partners, she helped the nonprofit Kupu secure a $20 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service that funds the planting of trees that will help reduce heat in communities with few trees.

She says it is crucial how people think of the ‘āina. “There’s a perspective of ‘It’s ours to use’ versus ‘It’s ours to care for.’ And those perspectives lead you to different ends.”

As a steward of the land, Thayer is committed to helping both the land and the people who live on it. She is a founding board member and secretary at Ke Kula ‘o Pi‘ilani, a nonprofit Hawaiian immersion school. The school was founded in 2016 with the goal of providing an enriching environment rooted in Hawaiian culture.

Thayer served as a board member for the Maui County Arborist Committee from 2012 to 2018 and has volunteered with The Nature Conservancy since 2010, including leading hikes into Waikamoi Preserve.

Thayer says she’s committed to serving the Valley Isle and its residents. “Maui nō ka ‘oi,” she says, before admitting, “I’m biased.”