John Leong

Title: President & CEO

Education: Bachelor of Science in Economics with a Dual-Concentration in Environmental Management and Entrepreneurial Management, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Background: Mr. Leong first got involved with conservation in high school as a member in the Youth Conservation Corps, under the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. After graduating from college, Mr. Leong returned to Hawaii and formed Pono Pacific Land Management LLC (Pono Pacific) in order to assist natural resource managers in increasing their ability to manage and execute conservation proejcts. He began coordinating the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps in 2001 and later in 2007 formed Kupu, a non-profit organization, to manage youth development programs in the “green” jobs sector. Pono Pacific continued to focus on conservation projects, and grew to operate projects statewide and manage lands for conservation and sustainability purposes. John has been awarded with the Pacific Business News Forty Under 40 award as well as the Bank of Hawaii Community Leader of the Year. In 2011 Pono Pacific received a Proclamation by the Hawaii State Legislature and Governor Abercrombie made a separate proclamation declaring May 10th, 2011 as “Pono Pacific Day.” Pono Pacific also received the Innovation in Conservation Award, one of three awards given out by the Hawaii Conservation Alliance in 2011. Kupu was a finalist for non-profit of the year in the Business Leadership Hawaii competition put on by Pacific Business News and Pono Pacific was finalist for “Large Business of the Year” for the same award series the year prior. Mr. Leong and his companies have been featured as cover stories in Pacific Business News, The Hawaii Nature Conservancy’s quarterly magazine, and the Honolulu Star Advertiser along with other articles in publications such as Pacific Edge Magazine, Star Bulletin, Honolulu Advertiser, Maui News, Hawaii Tribune Herald, and West Hawaii Today. His two companies have grown to provide close to 100 staff positions in 2011 as well as programs under Kupu that provide about 400 youth internships annually. Mr. Leong serves on the board of a national non-profit, The Corps Network based in Washington DC and also serves on the board for Natural Resources and Agriculture pathways for the Hawaii Department of Education locally. He is an active member at New Hope Diamond Head, a husband, a father of two girls and a son, and enjoys paddling, hiking, and spending time with his family at the beach.

Awards & Affiliations:

Quote: “Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” -Isaiah 40:28-31