Ige Announces New Administration Appointments

Earlier this week, Governor David Ige announced appointments to his administration in a variety of departments, including Health, Public Safety, and his communication team.

Department of Health

Lynn Fallin has been appointed Director of Behavior Health. She has served under four different Governors, holding cabinet positions in both Hawai’i and Oregon.

Danette Wong Tomiyasu was appointed Deputy Director for Health Resources. Recently, she served as Chief of the Family Health Services Division at the Department of Health.

Terry Byers was appointed as Director of the Executive Office on Aging. With more than two decades of experience in public health, she most recently served in the Department of Health as Chief of the Maternal and Child Health Branch.

Helena Manzano has been appointed Executive Director of the Office of Language Access. She is currently with the Department of Human Services as the Limited English Proficiency Project Manager.

Department of Public Safety

Cathy Ross was appointed as the Deputy Director for Administration. She has over 14 years of government experience, working for the Department of Health before joining Public Safety in 2012.

Shawn Tsuha has been appointed Deputy Director for Law Enforcement. He has worked within the Public Safety Department’s Sheriff Division since 1991, working his way up the chain of command.

Darrell T. Young was appointed Deputy of the Department of Transportation-Harbors Division. He has more than 28 years of experience in Hawai’i.

Communications Team

Jodi Leong will be Gov. Ige’s Deputy Director of Communications and Press Secretary. The former television anchor and reporter has served as Director of Communication at the University of Hawai’i System since 2012.

Yasmin Dar has joined Gov. Ige’s communication team as Digital Media Specialist. She has spent the last six years in television news as an anchor.