Maui’s Kalbert Young Among Neighbor Islanders Tapped for Abercrombie Admin

By Wendy Osher

Maui’s Kalbert Young is among the neighbor islanders tapped by Governor-Elect Neil Abercrombie for leadership roles with the new administration.  In his second announcement on Cabinet level positions, Abercrombie selected Young as Director of Budget and Finance, and also named Sen. Dwight Takamine and Audrey Hidano  as Director and Deputy Director respectively for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

“They are a part of our growing team dedicated to our goal of rebuilding our economy to create good-paying jobs during these difficult times while investing in the people of Hawaii,” said Abercrombie.

Kalbert Young. Photo courtesy County of Maui.

KALBERT YOUNG (DB&F), 41, currently serves as the Director of the Department of Finance for the County of Maui, a post he has held since 2004. Previously, Young worked at the Kapalua Land Co., the state Legislature, and at Kamehameha Schools, where he served in the government relations, budget and financial planning, and internal audit divisions. While employed for the County of Maui, Office of Economic Development, Young led an effort to establish the Maui County Business Resource Center & County Store at the Maui Mall in Kahului. Young earned a Bachelor’s degree in American History, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Sen. DWIGHT TAKAMINE (DLIR Director), 57, comes to the post with 26 years of Legislative experience, representing Hilo, Honokaa and Waimea.  Takamine was elected to the state House in 1984 and was later elected to the State Senate in 2008. While at the legislature, Takamine served as chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, House Labor and Public Employment Committee, House Finance Committee and House Water and Land Committee. Takamine is a labor lawyer who spent 30 years practicing in Hawaii.  Takamine is a graduate from Honokaa High School, and the UH-Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law.

AUDREY HIDANO (DLIR Deputy), 65, has worked in Hawaii’s construction and business industry for nearly 4 decades. Hidano co-founded Hidano Construction, Inc. in 1974 and Rim-Pac, Inc. in 1993.  Hidano previously served in the same capacity as deputy director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations between 2000 to 2002.  Between 1999 and 2000, Hidano also served as president of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii. She is a graduate of McKinley High School and Honolulu Business College.

Abercrombie is currently in Washington, D.C. where he will attend the Democratic Governors Association Annual Meeting tomorrow.  Abercrombie conducted interviews with the appointees over the weekend and confirmed their appointments today.

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