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Alameda’s work on fentanyl task force led to the job where he can make an even bigger difference

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Two years ago, Kimo Alameda was holding a horn in one hand and Narcan in the other, teaching people at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo how to use the nasal spray that can reverse an opiate overdose and potentially save a life. 

At the time, Alameda was CEO at Bay Clinic in Hilo and a volunteer member of the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force, which delivered 689 boxes of Narcan at that pop-up event.

Kimo Alameda, who was the CEO of Bay Clinic and volunteer with the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force, explains the need for free Narcan to battle overdoses in Hawaiʻi during a drive-thru giveaway at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo on Dec. 3, 2022. (File photo: Kelsey Walling)

The task force became a passion for Alameda, who started hosting the pop-ups and free giveaways of Narcan, also known as noxolone, across the island, often with his family and late wife, Star Alameda. He also hosted more than 400 presentations at island schools and for community groups.

“I remember him there with his horn, welcoming everybody himself and wanting to make a difference,” said Wally Lau, co-founder of the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force. “That is Kimo. He’s a community guy. No matter where he’s at, he is a motivator and a do-er who can excite people.”

Now, Alameda, 55, wants to make an even bigger difference as the new mayor of Hawai’i County. He beat incumbent Mitch Roth in November with a campaign emphasizing transparency, change and inclusion.

Alameda said it was his years with the task force that provided the final push he needed to run for the seat.

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“I saw that the last administration was not moving fast enough on key initiatives that make a big difference in our communities,” Alameda said. “I also found that there were many people who believed I would make a great representative through my leadership abilities and my professional relationships and background.”

So Alameda said yes to the opportunity.

“All of the sudden, I saw so much support,” he said. “It was and still is unbelievable.”

  • Instructions on how to administer Narcan.
  • Wally Lau explains how to use Narcan during a drive-thru giveaway in Hilo.
  • Tari Demello explains how to use Narcan during a free giveaway at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium on Dec. 3, 2022. (File photos: Kelsey Walling)

In the last couple months of 2022, Kunz and Lau said Alameda saw the need and quickly began to spearhead the effort.

“Kevin and I were guardrails, but we needed someone like Kimo to drive it on a daily basis,” Lau said.  

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“[Alameda] rolled up his sleeves and used his personality, intelligence and care for the community to activate current members and educate people about the epidemic,” Kunz said. “There is no other island that has a task force even close to us and that is a tribute to Kimo’s work and effort.”

After three years, the task force included more than 50 professionals from multiple agencies working to reduce the number of fentanyl overdose deaths. It hosts two naloxone pop-ups on the east and west side nearly every Saturday.

“Not many people know this, but Kimo was actually the person who brought the first shipment of Narcan to the island,” said Dr. Kevin Kunz, co-founder of the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force. “He called the people he knew on the mainland and next thing you knew, we had Narcan.”

Dr. Kevin Kunz explains how to use Narcan in a demonstration during a Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force talk story session at the Hawaiʻi County building in Hilo on June 26, 2024. (File photo: Kelsey Walling)

Alameda’s actions did not surprise Lau, who has known him for a long time. They often would run into each other during their various jobs throughout their professional careers.

When Lau founded Hōkūpaʻa, a West Hawaiʻi nonprofit that works together with other organizations to help guide youth to live healthy, productive lives, he collaborated on a presentation about cultural diversity with Alameda, who was then working at the state Department of Health Office of Health Equity.

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After a few years, they began interacting frequently in 2015, when Lau worked in Mayor Billy Kenoi’s office and Alameda was appointed the Executive Director for the Hawaiʻi County Office of Aging.

The two began working together again when Alameda was the CEO of Bay Clinic and Lau worked part-time at the West Hawaiʻi Community Health Clinic, now Hawaiʻi Island Health Clinic, after the Hawaiʻi Island Task Force hosted the first annual Hawaiʻi Fentanyl and Addictions Summit.

“When Kimo decided to volunteer, he quickly became our point person for the task force and it was the perfect fit,” Lau said. “I like to say that he doesn’t analyze or paralyze a situation, his style is that of a risk-taker that does his due diligence.”

The task force also showcased Alameda’s communication skills with people, from youth to kupuna.

“He knows how to excite people and keep their attention,” Lau said.

Dr. Kimo Alameda, a volunteer with the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force at the time, talks about fentanyl on Hawaiʻi Island and Buprenorphine, a medication used for opiod use disorder, during a virtual press conference on Feb. 24, 2023. (File photo: Kelsey Walling)

When Alameda held his presentations about Narcan and fentanyl, often three to five a week, he would make sure to build in time to field questions from the audience. 

“He was everywhere and believed in the work and knew it was important,” Kunz said. “He would host these with his family and they would take the time to listen to other families who may have lost someone to overdose or active addiction. Those settings hit home. It wasn’t just statistics anymore, they were real life experiences.”

Kunz said Alameda’s work on the task force has become a model around the state.

“He even put together a presentation for a two-day event we hosted when leadership from other islands visited Hilo,” Kunz said.

  • Dr. Kimo Alameda talks with supporters while waiting on results on election night.
  • Alameda, who was mayor-elect at the time, receives a lei from members the labor union, HGEA.
  • Dr. Kimo Alameda takes a photo with his wife, Star Alameda, during a campaign sign waving in support of his Hawaiʻi County mayoral campaign in Hilo on Jan. 13, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

Alameda said his experience as a psychologist, administrator for government offices and a CEO for a major nonprofit also has helped him prepare for the role as mayor. That career trajectory taught him how to focus on solutions and problem-solving for all people.

“At the end of the day, that is what this election is about — the people. And that is where my experience lies,” Alameda said. “We need a mayor who can put forth his vision, who has the courage to defend it, and who has the ability to engage with everybody in our county, not just certain folks.”

With more than 30 years of experience working in the community, Alameda believes he can bring more relationships to the table by building up networks through private and public partnerships and by bringing more energy to the position.

“Kimo is not your average person. He’s exceptional,” Kunz said. “It’s not just his education, knowledge and experience. He has this set of skills that touch the human heart and has the drive to problem solve.

“I have no doubt we will see the same thing throughout his time as mayor.”

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda acknowledges his family while giving his inaugural address after being sworn-in as mayor during the County of Hawaiʻi inaugural ceremony at the Kaleiopapa Convention Center in Keauhou on Dec. 2, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

During the inauguration ceremony early this month, one of Alameda’s seven children, Seizen Alameda, said the family feels more united and knows that her mother Star, who passed away suddenly in May, would be proud.

“We couldn’t be more excited for our dad, and I know my mom is proud of him, too,” Seizen Alameda said. “He will lead our people with integrity, pride, determination and all the things that make him a good leader, because heʻs been a good leader as our dad our whole lives.”

Alameda and his administration are utilizing social media for better outreach to residents. Follow the official Hawaiʻii County Mayor Instagram for events, news updates and to learn about exceptional individuals.

Kelsey Walling
Kelsey Walling is a full-time reporter for Big Island Now and the Pacific Media Group.

She previously worked as a photojournalist for the Hawaii Tribune-Herald from 2020 to 2024, where she photographed daily news and sports and contributed feature stories.

Originally from Texas, Kelsey has made East Hawaiʻi her home and is excited to write news stories and features about the community and its people.
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