Cynthia Lallo appointed as chief of staff in Office of the Mayor

Mayor Richard Bissen has named Cynthia Lallo as chief of staff, effective today, as part of a restructuring of his executive leadership team in the Office of the Mayor. Former Chief of Staff Leo Caires is taking over duties as energy commissioner.

According to an announcement, the leadership changes are aimed at enhancing the “administration’s reach in renewable energy while reorganizing the structure of the Office of the Mayor and the Office of Economic Development.”

In his role as energy commissioner, Caires will focus on short- and long-term strategies to develop and support clean-energy initiatives in Maui County. Caires will also be responsible for driving the County’s transition to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Lallo’s job as chief of staff will be to oversee Mayor Bissen’s staff on the ninth floor of the Kalana O Maui building as well as Office of Economic Development staff at One Main Plaza in Wailuku.

Lallo has served as senior executive assistant on Mayor Bissen’s executive cabinet since he took office in January 2023. Before joining Mayor’s leadership team, Lallo served as president of her private consulting business offering executive leadership and organizational training services focused on transitional management, leadership and team development, grant writing and oversight, strategic planning, capacity building, revenue diversification, and fundraising and advancement. Lallo also brings extensive executive management experience, specializing in team building, systems management, event planning and corporate communications. 

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Oregon University and is a Certified Fundraising Executive.

“I would like to thank Cynthia for assuming this leadership role, and mahalo, Leo, for taking on crucial tasks as our new energy commissioner,” Bissen said. “As we navigate the unique challenges of our tri-isle county, I will be leaning on Leo to lead us toward harnessing our energy resources wisely, while fostering sustainability and resilience for the benefit of generations to come.”