GOV. ABERCROMBIE ANNOUNCES FOUR APPOINTMENTS
News Release from Office of the Governor December 3, 2013
HONOLULU – Gov. Neil Abercrombie today announced the following appointments: Grant Y.M. Chun to the Board of Education (BOE); Doreen Napua Gomes to the Hawaiian Homes Commission; Aaron D. Mahi to the Land Use Commission (LUC); and Brian T. Tamamoto to the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), Kakaako District. The interim appointments are effective immediately and subject to state Senate approval.
“These individuals represent a cross-section of Hawaii residents’ diverse backgrounds, offering vital perspectives, input and leadership to the future of Hawaii,” Gov. Abercrombie said. “Good government depends on individuals getting involved and taking responsibility as leaders to work collaboratively toward solutions, and I am confident in their ability to do so on behalf of the people of Hawaii.”
Grant Y.M. Chun, a resident of Wailuku, will represent Maui on the BOE. Chun is currently vice president of A&B Properties Inc. and the former managing director of the County of Maui. He is a practicing attorney and brings a strong background in administration and law to the position. Active in the community, Chun serves on the board of directors for A Keiki’s Dream, Alexander and Baldwin Foundation, Maui Chinese Cultural Society, Maui Economic Development Board, and Maui Economic Opportunity, as well as on the executive board of the Boy Scouts of American Maui County Council, on the Maui Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and on the Chancellor’s Advisory Council for UH Maui College. He is also a life member of the Maui Young Business Roundtable. Chun earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and public relations from the University of Southern California. He also holds a law degree from the University of California – Hastings College of the Law.
Doreen Napua Gomes, a resident of Kula, assumes the Maui seat on the Hawaiian Homes Commission. Employed by Palekana Permits since 2009, Gomes was previously a Health Unit Assistant at Kula Hospital. She is president-elect of the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, serves as a commissioner for the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, and is a member of the Ahahui Kaahumanu Society. Gomes also served as director of Hui No Ke Ola Pono Inc. from 2009 to 2011 and on the Maui Police Department Commission from 2005 to 2010. In addition, Gomes is an advocate for the American Cancer Society and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and she has been a Maui County Health Volunteer since 2007. Gomes earned an associate’s degree in general studies from the University of Phoenix.
Aaron D. Mahi, a resident of Honolulu, fills the LUC Hawaiian Specialist seat. Mahi has worked as a cultural consultant for the Malama Aina Foundation since 2011 and as an assistant cultural specialist for the Partners in Development Foundation since 2009. From 2005 to 2009, he served as chief manager of the Ka Waihona Mele Noeau, a division of the Abigail K.K. Kawananakoa Foundation, for the collection, research and preservation of Hawaiian music, literature and oral history as part of the establishment of a Hawaiian culture repository. From 1981 to 2005, he directed the Royal Hawaiian Band as bandmaster. Mahi is a past district representative on the Oahu Island Burial Council and is first vice president of the Koolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club board. Mahi earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Hartford in Connecticut and attended the University of Loma Linda for orchestral conducting.
Brian T. Tamamoto of Honolulu brings to the HCDA more than 24 years of experience in labor relations, business operations, and development. He is currently the executive vice president of Resort Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Kobayashi Group. Previously, he worked as director of labor relations for Hawaiian Telcom, as managing director for Human Resources Solutions, and as director of human resources/labor relations for Aloha Airlines. Tamamoto has served as the Hawaii president of the Society for Human Resource Management, chair of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, and as a commissioner for the State Foundation on the Culture and Arts. He also volunteers for River of Life Mission’s homelessness program. Tamamoto earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Hawaii.
The Office of the Governor oversees more than 180 boards and commissions established by the state constitution, statutes or executive orders.
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