Bissen names Andrew Martin as Prosecuting Attorney, Scott Teruya as Finance Director, Jordan Molina to Public Works

Mayor-Elect Richard Bissen announced more appointments to his cabinet including:

• Andrew Martin as Prosecuting Attorney;
• Scott Teruya as Director of Department of Finance; and
• Jordan Molina as Director of Department of Public Works.

As Prosecuting Attorney, Martin will lead a staff of close to 90 employees including a team of more than 30 deputy prosecuting attorneys. He was previously a prosecuting attorney with the County from 2005 to 2010, and again from 2015 until he was appointed in 2021 as Maui County Prosecuting Attorney.

As a deputy, Martin prosecuted homicide, sexual assault, domestic violence cases and was responsible for overseeing attorneys in the Circuit Court, Family Court, Felony Screening, Appellate, and Vehicular Homicide and Road Safety Units.

While in private practice from 2010 to 2015, Martin specialized in criminal defense. He received his Juris Doctor from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Diego where he graduated with honors.

Teruya, with 11 years as the County’s Real Property Tax Administrator and four years as the County’s Finance Director from 2019 to 2022, will continue to oversee a department responsible for the overall financial administration of County departments.

The Department of Finance’s gross assessments of approximately $59 billion generates over $430 million from real property taxes. In 2021, the department began collecting Transient Accommodation Taxes and anticipates collecting approximately $60 million in fiscal year 2023. Together, they account for approximately 83% of the County’s general fund and 46% of the County budget.

Teruya received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Hawaiʻi and has been a Certified Residential Appraiser in the State of Hawaiʻi since 1997. He earned an Assessment Administration Specialist designation from the International Association of Assessing Officers and helped to establish a Hawaiʻi Chapter of the IAAO.

Molina will lead a department with over 300 employees and a $100 million dollar budget encompassing the three operating divisions of engineering, highways, and development services.

He has managed civil engineering projects, both as a contractor and a public utility operator, worked as a civil engineer with the County’s Department of Water Supply and served as a legislative analyst with the County’s Office of Council Services.

Molina has served as the department’s director since April 2022 and its deputy director prior to that since 2019. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Molina earned his Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering from Oregon State University and is a 2014 graduate of the Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows leadership program.

“Having Andrew, Scott and Jordan continue to lead their teams forward will give continuity in departments that do important work on behalf of our people,” said Mayor-elect Bissen. “I’m pleased that they will be able to contribute their expertise, bring experienced leadership, and continue with their public service as heads of their respective departments in my administration.”

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Maui County Council.