Agawa, Aoki and Takamori selected as directors under Bissen administration

Mayor-elect Richard Bissen announced the appointments of directors to three more departments within his administration including:

• Shayne Agawa as Director of Department of Environmental Management;
• Kathleen Aoki as Director of Department of Planning; and
• Marc Takamori as Director of Transportation.

Shayne Agawa previously served as deputy director of the Department of Water Supply and deputy director of the Department of Environmental Management in two different administrations. Prior to those leadership positions, he was an engineer in the County’s Department of Public Works for over 15 years where he oversaw management of federal aid projects in coordination with state and federal agencies.

When he served as deputy director of the Department of Environmental Management, Agawa was key to the expansion of the Environmental Protection and Sustainability Division which oversees recycling, zero waste, abandoned vehicles programs, and environmental protection related grants.

As director of the Department of Environmental Management, Agawa will lead more than 200 employees in three divisions of wastewater reclamation, solid waste, and environmental protection and sustainability. Agawa received his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Seattle University.

In her 20 years with the County of Maui, Kathleen Aoki has worked in nearly every division of the Planning Department. She has previously served as a deputy director and director of the Department of Planning. Aoki is currently the division chief for the Plan Implementation Division in addition to serving as a temporary division chief of the Long Range Division while it seeks to fill the vacant position.

She will lead a department responsible for updating the County General Plan used to guide the development of the county, the administration and enforcement of long-range planning programs and cultural resource management, and the administration and enforcement of zoning ordinances, zoning maps and related regulations.

The department also supports six planning commissions that focus on the islands of Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, the districts of Hāna, Paia-Haʻiku, and South Maui, as well as the Cultural Resources Commission, Urban Design Review Board and the Board of Variances and Appeals.

In 2018 Aoki was named the County Manager of the Year in recognition of her commitment to collaboration, effective decision making and dedication to finding inclusive solutions. Aoki earned a Bachelor of Arts degree Speech Communications from the University of Hawaiʻi.

Marc Takamori previously served as deputy director of the County Department of Transportation for more than seven years and since 2019 has been the department’s director.

He will be responsible for the management of the department’s annual budget of approximately $20 million and the oversight and compliance of Maui’s public transit, ADA paratransit, commuter, human services, and air ambulance contractors and vendors.

Under his leadership, the transportation department performed a comprehensive operational analysis, developed an electrification of transportation plan for the Maui Bus program, and procured the County’s first hybrid electric range transit buses.

He received a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Hawaiʻi Shidler College of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of the Pacific School of Engineering and Computer Science. Takamori is a 2015 graduate and a current Board member of the Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows leadership program.

“It is important to examine how our departments collectively and comprehensively integrate the programs and services we provide to our communities,“ said Mayor-elect Bissen. “The work that gets done by all county departments impacts not only the everyday lives of our citizens but also the generations to come after us. I am committed to exploring innovative ways we can balance providing services and programs needed now with a keen eye towards our future needs.”

All appointments of department directors are subject to confirmation by the County Council.