Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization names Batangan executive director

Kauanoe Batangan has been appointed executive director of the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization (Maui MPO), the agency responsible for coordinating federal highway and transit investments on the island of Maui. He started in the job Sept. 3.

He brings a decade of public administration and legislative experience and is particularly well-versed in matters involving indigenous rights, land use, and transportation.

“Kauanoeʻs background, skills and experience will continue to serve the community well as we move forward with planning for important transportation projects on Maui,” said acting Maui MPO Chair Marc Takamori, who is director of the County Department of Transportation. “Since joining Mayor Richard Bissenʻs administration in January 2023, Kauanoe has demonstrated initiative and leadership while stepping into a variety of roles.”

Batangan joins the Maui MPO from the County of Maui Department of Transportation. There, he served as deputy director and was responsible for overseeing the department’s public transit programs. Additionally, following the devastating Maui wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023, Batangan assumed the added role of Recovery Support Function (RSF) Coordinator in the County’s newly established Office of Recovery. As an RSF Coordinator, Batangan fostered cooperation among federal, state, county, and nonprofit partners to provide post-disaster healthcare and social services. 

Batangan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stanford University, a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Tokyo. He is an aliʻi in the Royal Order of Kamehameha I and founder of the Daniel K. Akaka Congressional Fellowship, a program to ensure Native Hawaiian engagement in federal policymaking.