David Tarnas is currently the State Representative for House District 7 
(North Kohala, South Kohala and North Kona), having previously served as the State Representative 
for Kohala and Kona from 1994-1998. David has lived in the district for over 32 years and with his 
wife, Carolyn Stewart, raised two children, one of whom is currently a graduate student and the 
other is a post-doctoral fellow. David is a professional environmental planner with his own company, 
focused on managing development of private residential and commercial projects in environmentally 
sensitive areas, including planning, impact analysis, permitting, compliance monitoring, reporting, 
government and community relations. For more than two decades, David has worked as a planner and 
meeting facilitator on projects in Hawai'i to develop harbors, highways, farms, ranches, fishponds, 
and forest plantations, as well as scientific research facilities and renewable energy projects. 
He is co-author of the Hawai'i Ocean Resources Management Plan (1990), co-founding board member of 
Malama Kai Foundation, former UH Sea Grant Extension Agent for West Hawai'i, and author of the 
1998 law Act 306 that created the West Hawai'i Regional Fishery Management Area. He has served as 
a member of the Hawai'i County Agriculture Advisory Commission and the Community Advisory Group 
for the U.S. Army Garrison - Hawai'i Pohakuloa Training Area, and Hawai'i County Chairman of the 
Democratic Party of Hawai'i.