About Us
Mary Charles is a concerned community member advocating to Fix Our Schools. She has lived in Hawaii for 50+ years, built a successful business in the visitor industry, becoming the largest woman-owned business in the state. Mary Charles is a former board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, an academic coach at Palama Settlement, and led the Development Committee for the Hawaii Island Land Trust (HILT) for 10 years, protecting our lands. She splits her time between Honolulu and Lānaʻi. She and her husband of 45 years, Tom Kiely, owned and operated Hotel Lānaʻi & Lanai City Grille and became very involved in the community on Lānaʻi. She is a strong advocate for our Keiki and our Aina.
Karen de Brum has been a high school Language Arts teacher at Lānaʻi High and Elementary School for over 30 years. In 2025 she became the secondary curriculum and instruction coach as well as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) coordinator. Karen and her husband, Martin, have raised three children on Lānaʻi and have helped many other teens from all over graduate successfully from LHES. Working with Fix Our Schools, Karen is committed to helping ensure that Lānaʻi High and Elementary School continues to thrive and grow so that future generations of Lānaʻi families receive a top education that prepares them for the new world.
