Omori Confirmed as Director of County Research and Development

The Hawaii County Council today confirmed Mayor Billy Kenoi’s appointment of Laverne Omori as director of the Department of Research and Development.

Omori has been acting director of the department since December when Research and Development chief Randy Kurohara was named the county’s deputy managing director.

She had served as the department’s deputy director since January 2010.

Kenoi, posting on his Facebook page, said Omori and her team “have an important job – investing in our island’s economy by supporting critical sectors like agriculture and hospitality.”

Omori has spent more than two decades working for the county.

Prior to becoming deputy director, Omori served for three years as an economic development specialist for R&D. She has also been a a planner in the Office of Aging and a program director for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Omori holds a bachelor’s degree in human development from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.