Gov. Green appoints circuit court judge, names others to boards and commissions

Governor Josh Green, M.D., has appointed several individuals to various open positions including a circuit court judge and multiple appointments to state boards and commissions.

The judicial appointment was Jordan J. Kimura to the position of Circuit Judge for the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (island of Oʻahu).

Kimura is currently a Co-Managing Partner and Litigation and Estate Planning Attorney/Partner for McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law. Kimura has also served as part of the Pro Bono Counsel at the Sex Abuse Treatment Center of Kapi‘olani Medical Center.

Other positions and appointees are listed below:

• State Ethics Commissioner: Cynthia Thielen
• Campaign Spending Vice Chair: Neal Herbert
• Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Board Member: Mufi Hannemann
• Hawai‘i State Foundation Chair: Konrad Ng
• Hawai‘i State Foundation Board Member: Sean Connelly
• Hawaii Labor Relations Board, Employee Member: Stacy Moniz
• Land Use Commission, Hawai‘i Island Seat: Nancy Carr Smith

All of the above appointments are effective immediately, except for the Hawaiʻi Labor Relations Board which will be effective Aug. 17, 2023.

“Giving back to our community has always been a priority in my life, and I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity by Governor Green and his administration to serve in a very impactful way.”

Former Representative Cynthia Thielen is a retired attorney and graduate of the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law. She was a National Board Member of the National Conference of State Legislatures Women’s Network, the National Conference of State Legislatures Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. Thielen also served the House of Representatives as an Assistant Minority Floor Leader and as a Co-Chair for the Women’s Legislative Caucus.

Neal Herbert is a graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy and served for 28 years, including a tour as Commanding Officer at the Honolulu Coast Guard Base before retiring as Captain. After retiring, Herbert has been involved as an officer/director in several national, state, and Hawai‘i County organizations such as the US Navy League, Society of Professional Engineers, Big Island Retired Military Association, and Puaka‘a Community Association. He also worked as a project engineer for SSFM International, Inc. Additionally, Herbert was the former campaign treasurer, served on the Hawai‘i County Transportation Commission for four years, and was a nominee for the 2014 Big Island Outstanding Older American Award.

Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann is a highly seasoned professional with decades of invaluable experience in Hawaiʻi’s business, government, and nonprofit sectors. Notably, he has served as the Mayor of Honolulu and held the position of Director of Business and Economic Development and tourism under Governor John Waihee.  He also has been the CEO and President of the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association since 2015. 

Konrad Ng has two decades of experience in the arts as a senior executive, curator, and educator. He was also a film programmer at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival, the first Curator of Film and Video at the Honolulu Museum of Art, a founding faculty member in the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, and the executive director of Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture, & Design. 

Sean Connelly graduated from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He has been a lecturer at several universities, most recently, Connelly was an Adjunct Assisstant Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. Furthermore, he had many of his solo exhibitions displayed such as the Learning from Lē‘ahi sculpture at the Kapi‘olani Community College Koa Gallery. Connelly has curated many selected exhibitions, films, and new media projects.

Stacy Moinz is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law. He is currently the Advocacy Chief of the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association (HGEA), the Abitrator of the Hawai‘i Labor Relations Board, Manager of South Pac Holdings, LLC, Vice President and Board of Director of Hui O He‘e Nalu Inc., and Paralegal/Consultant of the Gary M. Levitt Law Office. This appointment is due in large part from a new law. Under a recent law, Act 260 Session Laws of Hawaii, the Governor must appoint the person nominated by the public employee unions. 

Nancy Carr Smith was a real estate agent and real estate broker and eventually opened her own real estate brokerage in 2011. She participated in multiple volunteer boards and commissions. Smith is currently the Waimea Community Association secretary and is a member of the Waimea Design Review Committee. She has been deeply involved with her community for decades.