Policy Officials to Gather on Maui for Investment Discussion

Image courtesy: Office of Council Services.

By Maui Now Staff

Policymakers from throughout the state will gather on Maui to discuss investment success stories – and impediments to investment – at the Hawaiʻi State Association of Counties’ annual conference taking place June 24-26, 2015 in Mākena.

Maui County Council Chair Mike White said conferees will hear from tech innovator Burt Lum, former State Planning Director Jesse Souki, new state Chief Information Officer Todd Nacapuy, Kauaʻi County Managing Director Nadine Nakamura and Kelvin Kohatsu, Fleet Administrator for Hawaiʻi Electric Light Company.

Each will touch upon the conference theme of “Why Invest in Our Counties? Counties Move Hawaiʻi Forward.”

White noted the HSAC conference theme is consistent with Maui Councilmember Riki Hokama’s NACo presidential initiative on transportation and infrastructure, which addresses the role of counties in promoting investments that support economic competitiveness.

Other speakers include Emilia Istrate, Research Director for the National Association of Counties, and NACo President Riki Hokama, the Maui County Councilmember from Lānaʻi.

HSAC’s members are the councilmembers and mayors of all four Hawaiʻi counties.

“The HSAC conference is a great opportunity for councilmembers to learn from colleagues in other counties as well as from Hawaiʻi business and civic leaders,” said White in a press release statement. “This will be a working conference, focused on developing actionable ideas for both the public and private sectors,” he said.

Hands-on sessions will also be available to conferees, including a mom-and-pop food tour, a tour of Maui farms and an opportunity to test drive a Tesla electric vehicle. Networking sessions feature entertainment by Maui performers Willie K, Hawaiʻi steel guitar player Joel Katz, and Darren Lee, star of “Burn’n Love – Elvis in Hawaiʻi.”

The HSAC conference will be held at the Mākena Beach & Golf Resort in South Maui and is hosted by the Maui County Council.

Conference registration is open to the public at the Maui County Council website. That site will be also house resource materials provided by conference speakers.