Kimo Alameda, who has been lead of the Hawai‘i Island Fentanyl Task Force and vice president of business development for Hawai‘i Island Community Health Center since 2022, is stepping away from those roles to pursue a bid to become the next mayor of Hawai‘i County in 2024.

Alameda plans to make an informal announcement for his mayoral run on Wednesday morning during a press conference in Hilo.

Incumbent Hawai‘i County Mayor Mitch Roth, the former county prosecutor, is in the middle of his first term. Roth was elected in 2020 and is eligible to serve a second four-year term if he choses to run again. As of Tuesday afternoon, no other candidates had thrown their hats into the 2024 mayoral race.

Alameda on Wednesday also will share his thoughts about stepping away from both entities and the role the County should play in addressing the fentanyl crisis.

The former chief executive officer of Bay Clinic, which merged with West Hawai‘i Community Health Center in July 2022 to become Hawai‘i Island Community Health Center, grew up on a ranch in the hills of Waiākea Uka and graduated from St. Joseph High School in Hilo.

He attended Hawai‘i Pacific University. After earning his master’s degree, he went on to hold several positions with the Hawai‘i Department of Education, including as a school counselor and special education teacher.

After obtaining his doctorate in psychological, educational and cultural studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he led the Hawaiʻi Department of Health Children’s Division as a statewide transition specialist. He led the Adult Mental Health Division’s Office of Multicultural Services. Five years later, Alameda was asked to lead the department’s Office of Health Equity.

He also served as executive for the Hawai‘i County Office of Aging during the administrations of former Mayors Bill Kenoi and Harry Kim before accepting the CEO position at Bay Clinic.

Alameda has given numerous fentanyl presentations at schools around the Big Island at schools around the Big Island and also began giving presentations at island schools this spring about the importance of spreading aloha to combat bullying, discrimination, disrespect and hatred.

For more information about Alameda, click here.