Senate Confirms DOA Positions

Scott Enright was confirmed unanimously on the Senate floor Thursday as the Chairperson of the Department of Agriculture.

“It’s wonderful to be able to work with Governor Ige as he moves to make Hawai’i’s diversified agricultural economy and food sustainability a success,” Enright said.

Previously, Enright served as the director of the DOA, a position he held since January 2014. He also served as deputy director for the two years prior. Among the qualifications under his belt, Enright serves as national chair of the National Association of State Directors of Agriculture and has wide knowledge of bioenergy fuel stock and experience in Hawai’i agriculture land use planning and policy.

“We’re impressed with the fact that Mr. Enright enjoys support from every sector of agriculture, from large scale industries including biotech, to small farmers and the organic farming community. This ability to relate to and support all kinds of farmers is exactly what we need in Hawai’i today,” said Senator Russell Ruderman, Chair of the Senate Agriculture committee.

During the Senators decision on the Senate floor, Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser was named Deputy Chairperson of the DOA. She is a third-generation descendant from a farming family on Maui.

Shimabukuro-Geiser holds a Bachelor’s and Masters of Science degrees in Agriculture and has over 30 years of farming experience.