Our Team
Irene Sprecher, President
Irene has spent the last 18 years working with Hawai'i and Pacific Island forests through a variety of roles connected to public and private forest land management. She recently joined Forest Solution's team in 2021 following a 15-year career with the State of Hawai'i Division of Forestry and Wildlife, lastly as the Forestry Program Manager. Through her time with the State, she was responsible for the management and protection of the public and private forest lands in Hawaiʻi, and for supporting similar programs in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.
Among a number of priorities, Irene has worked towards the development of Hawaii’s sustainable forest industry, expansion of wood product markets, native forest management and restoration, land planning, forest carbon certification, perpetual land conservation, and community engagement and stewardship of natural resources. She has extensive experience in program development, contract and grant management, budget tracking, government procurement, environmental and regulatory compliance, and partnership development.
Irene obtained a Master’s of Natural Resources from Oregon State University for her work on the sustainable management of Hawaiian sandalwood, and has a Bachelor's from the University of Hawaiʻi focused in Forest Ecology and Human Stewardship of Natural Resources.
Outside of work you may find Irene and her favorite sidekick, Joby dog, exploring the shorelines, streams, or mountains on Hawai‘i Island, or possibly set-up in a hammock under some trees.
Ph: (808) 347-6716
irene_sprecher@forestsolutionsinc.com
Kirk Derasin, Senior Operations Forester
Kirk has over 15 years of forestry experience with Forest Solutions and serves as our senior operation forester, providing support to our clients with projects ranging from 5 acres to over 100,000 acres. He specializes in koa plantation establishment, silviculture, and management; weed suppression and control; native reforestation; fire planning; and creating and cultivating community engagement. Kirk is experienced in installing permit sample plots (PSP), ecosystem monitoring plots, and subsequently recording and analyzing the data. He also was the crew leader during the culturally significant Pu'ukohola Heiau historic site restoration.
Kirk is a proud student of the Forestry Program at Hawai‘i Community College, and is Co-owner of Derasin Ranch in Ka‘u where he manages cattle, citrus, coffee, and avocado orchards, as well as cut flowers (protea), among other agricultural commodities. On the weekends, you might see Kirk out riding horses, at the rodeos with his family, or swinging by the farmers markets to check in on the farm stand.
PH: (808) 937-7752
kirk_derasin@forestsolutionsinc.com
Aviva Gottesman, Research Forester
Aviva is a professional forester with nine years of domestic and international experience in the laboratory, office, and field. Her work is backed by a master’s degree in forestry focusing on carbon dynamics, and a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management from the University of Vermont. She spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mexico prior to joining Forest Solutions in 2019.
Aviva is responsible for the preparation of forest management plans for our public and private clients for a variety of purposes including under the auspices of the Hawaii Forest Stewardship Program as well as other compliance and landowner financial assistance programs. Additionally, Aviva specializes in forest sampling, data analysis, and reporting.
Aviva manages Forest Solutions’ ecosystem monitoring program that features a summer internship which integrates her interest in community outreach and forest ecosystems. Guided by her passion for native forest conservation, Aviva continues to refine and strengthen her technical skills in the forestry field.
PH: (808) 640-7118
aviva_gottesman@forestsolutionsinc.com
Wiliwili Weaver, Operations Forester
Wili brings to the team 19 years of experience working in conservation and natural resource management in Hawaii. He recently joined the Forest Solutions team in 2022 after working in watershed management with the Ko’olau Mountains Watershed Partnership for 6 years implementing landscape scale projects across 110,000 acres in the Ko’olau mountain range. Prior to that he served in various roles with the Army Natural Resources Program Oahu for 13 years conducting endangered species mitigation, ecosystem restoration and resource management in the field within an array of diverse ecosystems from wet forests to coastal areas. He has worked with various non-profit community based organizations involved with trail, lo’i, fishpond, coastal and marine restoration.
Wili received a Master’s of Science in Natural Resource Environmental Management from the University of Hawaii at Manoa for his work on remote sensing and monitoring in Hawaiian mixed mesic forests.
Wili is an award-winning photographer and captures images from mauka to makai. He thrives on the energy of being immersed in waves with their dynamic, ephemeral fluid nature as well as exploring the mauka regions for hidden gems of native flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth. He also enjoys working on the family farm in south Kona, surfing and swimming the beautiful coral reefs with a mask, snorkel and camera.
PH: (808) 765-7727
wili_weaver@forestsolutionsinc.com
Sebastian Ma’a, Biocultural Forester
Sebastian joined the Forest Solutions’ team in 2021 and supports a wide range of projects spanning mauka to makai. He has helped guide complex vegetation removal and invasive weed control across more than 100,000 acres; supports forest health monitoring and surveys; and native species out-planting and ongoing maintenance. He also supports the care of some of Hawaii’s most treasured landscapes, historic places, and other culturally sensitive areas.
Sebastian a recent graduate of the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) Master’s Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. During his time as an undergraduate and graduate student, he successfully completed professional internships for various county, state, and federal conservation-based organizations where he developed the skills to effectively preserve and restore native ecosystems from mauka to makai. As a native Hawaiian and an individual who was born and raised on Hawaiʻi Island, Sebastian has a deep passion and sense of kuleana for doing what he can to perpetuate Hawaiʻi’s rich cultural and biological resources for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
In his spare time he enjoys spending time outside, fishing, hiking, exploring and studying native plants.
Ph: (808) 443-1458
sebastian_maa@forestsolutionsinc.com
Robert Lee Justice III, Wildlife Specialist
Robbie is a recent graduate of the TCBES Master’s program at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. His Masters thesis was “Using Vocalizations to Monitor How Captive Bred ʻalalā (Corvus hawaiiensis) are Adapting to the Wild”. Prior to entering graduate school, he spent a few years doing a wide variety of field work, mainly pertaining to birds. His field experience ranges from working with Northern Spotted Owls acoustics, population monitoring on a Caspian Tern colony, working with Wood Ducks on managed wetlands, as well as working within rural communities in Northwest Mexico. He has a passion for many aspects of the outdoors, wildlife, and conservation. His goal is to work in a place that contributes to the conservation and sustainability of our natural resources. In his free time you can find Robbie in the water, staying active at the gym, or sunken into his couch binging Netflix documentaries.
Phone: (808)319-9877
robbie_justice@forestsolutionsinc.com
Kelly Campbell, Administrative Assistant
Kelly is responsible for timekeeping and payroll processing, receiving invoices, expense tracking, new hire orientation, and the maintenance of this beautiful website. She also coordinates field visits, company retreats and assists with materials procurement and logistics.
Kelly brings six years’ experience in business administration, including ownership of a few small businesses.
She has served as human resources assistant, payroll manager, mail clerk, town clerk and in other administrative assistant capacities. She has undertaken studies in Business Management at University of Phoenix, and volunteered on the local school Governing Board for 3 years.
Her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family.