Hawaiʻi Governor-elect Green appoints 8 women to key positions in his administration

Hawaiʻi Governor-elect Josh Green announced Tuesday evening the appointments of eight “strong women” to his administration. They include chief of staff, Brooke Wilson, who had served in the same position when he was Hawaiʻi’s lieutenant governor.

“I am assembling a team that will help me drive an ambitious agenda for Hawaiʻi during the next four years,” Green said in statement. “It is a group of dedicated, qualified professionals with years of experience in their respective fields. Each brings with them the passion to make a difference and meet the challenges facing Hawaiʻi.”

Green has assembled a strong team of women to lead his office, according to a press release. His staff appointments include:

Chief of Staff: Over the last four years, Wilson worked with the Green on the state’s first master-planned Kauhale (tiny home village) and the development of the “Housing is Healthcare” model to address chronic homelessness. Wilson has 20 years of career experience in multiple industries, including government, construction, non-profit, technology and communications. 

Chief Housing Officer – Nani Medeiros: She will join Green’s team in this position. Medeiros will be driving the Governor’s initiatives on workforce and affordable housing, homelessness and social service policies. Medeiros is currently the Executive Director of HomeAid Hawaiʻi and developed Kama’okū, a Kauhale of 37 tiny homes to address homelessness. She previously spent six years in healthcare at the Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association, 13 years at the state legislature, and five years in the executive branch of the state. 

Deputy Chief of Staff – Lori Abe: She most recently served as a Vice President for the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaiʻi. 

Director of Communications – Makana McClellan: She most recently served as the Director of Business Development & Community Relations and the Director of Marketing & Communications at Shriners Children’s Hospital. She previously was the public information officer for The Queen’s Health Systems. 

Director of Constituent Services and Protocol – Feleaʻi Tau: She worked for Dr. Green for the last 18 years as his office manager at his medical practice and most recently as the Special Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor.

Protocol Officer – Keala Patterson: She most recently served as the Director of Public Affairs at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.

Administrative Services Officer – Krystle Cook: She most recently served as an Advancement Operations Officer at Punahou School.

Executive Assistant to the First Lady – Shari Carter: For the last nine years, Carter has served as the Administrative Services Officer for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

In addition to these six highly qualified executive branch team members, the incoming administration also has identified an additional 15 staff for critical roles in the Governor’s office. Together, this team will support the Governor-elect in his day-to-day operations and priorities for the state. This amounts to approximately 46 percent of the operations team in just two weeks since the election.

As cabinet-level interviews continue this week, Dr. Green continues to encourage interested Hawaiʻi residents to apply to serve at every level of government through the administration portal, GreenTransition2022.org, or the hiring portal of the State of Hawaiʻi: jobs.hawaii.gov.

“I have been so excited to see the incredible quality of applicants who have already applied to work in the administration,” Dr. Green said. “This really gives me hope that a great future lies ahead for our state.”

Applications are considered as they are received.

Governor-elect Green will be officially inaugurated on Dec. 5, 2022 at noon.

The Inauguration will be held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena. Doors open at 9 a.m. and the ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. This event is open to the public and free of charge.