Hawai‘i County Council unanimously supports Mayor Alameda’s chosen cabinet leaders

While on the Hawai‘i County mayoral campaign trail last year, Kimo Alameda made a pledge that he wouldn’t look for his county leaders outside of the state.

It was a promise the new mayor kept, with all of his appointed department heads born and raised within the State of Hawai‘i, including many hailing from the Big Island.

“I’ve been thinking about this team for two years,” Alameda said.

He said he needed to select people who had the same vision and commitment to the island.

On Tuesday, during Hawai‘i County Council’s Governmental Operations and External Affairs Committee, Alameda sought confirmation of nine of his selected department heads.

These mayoral appointees received unanimous support from the council committee members but they must go before the full council for final approval on Jan. 22 in Kona.

Members of the public wishing to provide testimony or comments on these appointees can still submit written testimony to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov by noon on Jan. 21  or plan on testifying in person or via zoom.

The nominated directors:

Corey K. Stone, director of Information Technology: Stone worked for the county as an Information Systems Analyst in the Department of Information Technology since 2012. He previously worked for Hewlett-Packard in Colorado and came home to Hawaiʻi Island in 2004 to raise his family.

Wesley Segawa, director of Environmental Management: Segawa holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and has decades of experience in engineering, administration and project management. He began his professional career as an engineer with Hawaiian Dredging and Construction Company and later established Wesley R. Segawa and Associates, focusing on public and private engineering and construction management projects

Clayton Honma, director of Parks and Recreation: Honma returns to the Parks and Recreation Department which he led as director from 2012-2016. Before that appointment, he was the department’s Deputy Director from 2009-2012. Honma recently worked as Program Planner for the county’s Office of Aging, where he oversaw all contracts for services. Honma is a youth recreation advocate and leader in the community and has served as co-founder and coach for Flygirlz Basketball Organization, assistant coach of the Waiakea High School Girls Junior Varsity Basketball Team and coordinator for the Jimmy Yagi Basketball Camp.

Jeffrey W. Darrow, Director of Planning: Darrow has held multiple leadership positions within the county’s Planning Department, where he currently serves as Deputy Director. During his 26-year career with the department, he has also served as planning program manager, planner and zoning inspector.

Renee N.C. Schoen, Corporation Counsel: Schoen recently served as a per diem Third Circuit District Court and Family Court Judge. A lawyer for more than 30 years, she was previously assistant corporation counsel for the county from 2017-2021 and deputy corporation counsel from 2007-2016. Additionally, Schoen was a private practice attorney and deputy attorney general for the State of Hawaiʻi.

William V. Brilhante Jr., managing director: Brilhante, an attorney who resides in Hilo, was director of the county’s Human Resources from 2017 to 2021 after serving as Human Resources deputy director in 2016. Born in Honoka‘a, Brilhante additionally served as deputy corporation counsel for the county, was a deputy attorney general for the State of Hawai‘i, worked as a county firefighter, and was the assistant regional counsel for the Social Security Administration in San Francisco.

Diane Nakagawa, director of Finance: Nakagawa was promoted to the position of finance director in 2024, succeeding Deanna Sako. Nakagawa, who has been an integral part of the Finance Department, recently serving as deputy, brings a wealth of financial expertise and a deep understanding of the county’s fiscal matters.

Benson P. Medina, director of Research and Development: Medina has served at an executive level in tourism, manufacturing, natural resource development, agricultural tourism and community education. Medina also serves as the President of Hui ʻOihana, the Hawaiʻi Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, and is the district governor nominee for Rotary International in Hawai‘i. He directed the islandwide 2022 Access to Care survey that provides critical data for healthcare providers on Hawai‘i Island and was the principal grant writer and project manager for the Hawai‘i Ag-Tourism Association. Medina is an active member of Hula Halau O Kawananakoa and speaks frequently on the relationship between Native Hawaiian values and business.

Hugh Y. Ono, director of Public Works: Ono is a professional engineer who served as the county’s Public Works director from 1984 to 1990. Before his most recent appointment, he was the vice president in charge of SSFM International’s Hawaiʻi Island Office. Ono was also previously the Highways Division administrator for the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and Hawaiʻi District engineer for the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation.

There were a handful of community testifiers who expressed their support for Alameda’s selected directors. One person described Darrow as a person of integrity who “approaches everything he does with compassion.”

Many of the directors chosen by Alameda have had experience working in the county under past administrations. Nakagawa is the only one who served in the previous administration under Mayor Mitch Roth.

“When we looked at the (previous administration’s) team and we looked at what’s going well, we didn’t want to mess this up,” Alameda said. “And finance is going well because of Diane.”

Editorʻs note: An earlier version incorrectly stated the appointees had been approved.