Andaya Named New Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator

Herman Andaya Jr. PC: County of Maui.

Herman Andaya Jr. has been named the new administrator for the Maui Emergency Management Agency. He served as the interim administrator for the last six months and was selected by a committee from a packed field of 40 applicants.

Those who met the minimum qualifications for the position were allowed to sit for a three-hour written examination.

Andaya’s executive experience includes having served as the deputy director of the Department of Housing and Human Concerns, assistant administrator of the housing division and the Mayor’s Chief of Staff.  In his capacity as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff his responsibilities included oversight over the Office of Economic Development, Budget Office, Community Development Block Grant office, communications office, executive assistants and clerical staff.

The Emergency Management administrator position is a non-political appointment and was filled through the civil service process. The Department of Personnel Services oversaw the recruitment process which is governed by the State of Hawaii civil service laws. County officials note that Mayor Alan Arakawa “was neither part of the recruitment nor selection process for this position.”

A “list of eligibles” was created based on the examination score and forwarded to a selection committee comprised of the Maui Police Department Chief Tivoli Faaumu, Maui Fire Department Chief Jeff Murray, Elton Ushio, Administrator of the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency and Vern Miyagi, Administrator of the Hawaiʻi State Emergency Management Agency.

“Herman’s combined proven leadership abilities, executive level experience, and impressive knowledge of emergency management, particularly in the unique issues and challenges facing Maui County and the State of Hawaii, make him an excellent fit for the position,” noted Ushio.

“Herman is familiar with government processes, especially an intimate familiarity with County Government,” Fire Chief Jeff Murray commented. “What impressed me was his institutional knowledge of the various emergency incidents on Maui since 2003 because of his involvement in the emergency operations center at civil defense when it was activated.”

Andaya was born and raised on the island of Maui. He is a graduate of HP Baldwin High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech, as well as a master’s degree, from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and a juris doctorate degree from the William S Richardson School of Law.