15. Community-Led Recovery: Leadership Lessons from Maui with Richard Bissen

Mayor Richard Bissen reflects on leading Maui through the immediate response and long recovery following the August 2023 fires.

He shares why listening, community meetings, trusted local advisers, and careful preparation have shaped the county’s approach to rebuilding Lahaina. The conversation also explores the tension between urgency and safety, the importance of protecting communities from outside interests, and why recovery must restore people and culture, not only structures.

In “Kim on the Street,” Lahaina Brewing Company founder Mary Anderson shares how cooperation and community support helped her business find a way forward after the fire.

Resources:

• How to Disaster
• Learn more about After the Fire USA
• After the Fire USA Resource Library
• County of Maui
• Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA