Herman Andaya Jr appointed Chief of Staff for incoming Arakawa Admin

Mayor-Elect Alan Arakawa today named Herman Andaya, Jr. as his chief of staff in his second announcement of leadership positions in the Arakawa administration.

As chief of staff, Andaya’s duties will include managing the day to day operations of the Mayor’s Office, including the Budget Office, oversee the Office of Economic Development and CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) Office, and lead the Mayor’s strategic policy initiatives by working closely with Managing Director Keith Regan, department heads, and the community.

Herman Andaya. Photo courtesy Arakawa Transition Team.

The purpose of Andaya’s early appointment was to assist in the reviewing, vetting, and hiring of staff within the Mayor’s Office, as well as assisting in the selection of cabinet members.

“I am proud to appoint Herman as Chief of Staff.  There is no doubt in my mind he is the right person for this job and am confident he will take the work being done in Maui County to the next level,” Mayor-Elect Arakawa said.

“Having worked closely with Herman on a variety of projects, I know first-hand that Herman’s extensive legislative and managerial experience, problem solving abilities, professionalism, and extensive community service background will be a tremendous factor in Mayor Arakawa achieving his goals in building a brighter future for our keiki,” said Regan.

Born and raised on Maui, Andaya graduated from H.P. Baldwin High School before attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he received a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Speech, Master of Arts, Political Science, and Juris Doctorate. Andaya served as Assistant Administrator of the Housing Division of the Department of Housing & Human Concerns in 2007, as the Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Human Concerns from 2003-2006, and Committee Clerk for the Senate Committee on Planning, Land and Water Use Management from 1992-1994 and 1996-1998.

Currently, Andaya serves as Special Assistant to the Chancellor at the University of Hawaii, Maui College, where he assists Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto with projects involving the administration of the college.  Andaya is currently a candidate for the Master of Public Policy and Administration, from Northwestern University.

“I am honored by the Mayor’s decision to appoint me to this important position,” Andaya said.  “We have much work to do, and I appreciate the Mayor’s faith in my ability to get the job done.  I hope to live up to the Mayor’s high expectations in my new role as chief of staff,” said Andaya.

Andaya is president of the Maui Filipino Community Council, co-founder and past president of the Maui Young Business Roundtable, Board of Governors of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii, director of Binhi At Ani, Filipino Community Center and United Bacarraneos of Maui, and past Lieutenant Governor of Kiwanis International, Division 22.

*** If you enjoyed this post, you may also be interested in our story on: Goode and Dagdag-Andaya team up to head Maui Public Works