Maui Recognizes County Employees of the Year

Mayor Charmaine Tavares presented the 2009 Employee Recognition Awards at a luncheon held at the Maui Tropical Plantation in October. The event featured the recognition of nine retiring County employees who represent a combined total of over 200 years of service.

“We are grateful for the more than 2,000 dedicated and caring County employees who serve our community on a daily basis,” Mayor Tavares said. She continued, “Their hard work and aloha often goes unnoticed, and these awards are an important way of acknowledging all that they do for the people of Maui, Molokai and Lanai.”

PHOTOS COURTESY: County of Maui. Top left: Environmental Management Team of the Year: Central Maui Landfill Team. L-R: Tia Stupplebeen, Craig Chaves, Jonah Nakila, Ryan Toyama, Kolo Pupunu, Cory Kealoha, Halona Laborte, Jun Valle, Ikaika Benavides, DEM Director Cheryl Okuma, DEM Deputy Director Gregg Kreske. Top right: Molokai Employee of the Year: Rogelio Cabanting, Landfill Bulldozer Operator. Bottom right: Lanai Employee of the Year: Kimberly Masse, Police Officer III. Bottom left: Retirees (L-R): Ernest Amoral, Dennis Souza, Patricia

The awards for each department included “Employee of the Year,” “Manager of the Year,” and “Team of the Year.” Winners received a framed certificate and engraved wood plaque.

Prior events on the neighbor islands also recognized Molokai’s Employee of the Year, Rogelio Cabanting, Landfill Bulldozer Operator with the Department of Environmental Management; and Lanai’s Employee of the Year, Kimberly Masse, Police Officer III.

The following Maui individuals and teams were recognized:

Employees of the Year: Linda K. Tamashiro, Private Secretary, Office of the Mayor/Dept. of Management; Jeanette R. Kinaka, Private Secretary, Dept. of Finance; Mark K. Pokini, Fire Fighter 3, Dept. of Fire & Public Safety; Lana C. Queddeng, Senior Services Program Assistant 2, Dept. of Housing & Human Concerns; Rulan G. Waikiki, Land Use & Building Plans Examiner, Dept. of Planning; Helen T. Kanae, Police Reports Reviewer 2, Dept. of Police; John E. Tam, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Dept. of the Prosecuting Attorney; Eugene “Mike” Tihada, Equipment Operator 4, Department of Public Works; Juan A. Rivera, Structural Engineer, Dept. of Environmental Management; Anthony R. Medeiros, Park Caretaker 1, Dept. of Parks & Recreation; Charlene Sakamoto, Water Service Clerk Dispatcher, Dept. of Water Supply, Marguerite Ah-Kee, Law Technician II, Dept. of the Corporation Counsel (combined nomination by departments of Corporation Counsel, Civil Defense Agency, Liquor, Personnel Services & Transportation).

Managers of the Year: Susan L. Underwood, Information Systems Analyst 6, Office of the Mayor & Dept. of Management; Ty M. Yoshimi, Accounting System Administrator, Dept. of Finance; Louis P. Romero, Captain, Dept. of Fire & Public Safety; Jay M. Arakawa, Zoning Inspector 3, Dept. of Planning; Clarence S. Kenui, Police Lieutenant, Dept. of Police; Jerrie L. Sheppard, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Dept. of the Prosecuting Attorney; John L. Prito, Public Works District Supervisor 2, Dept. of Public Works; Tia K. Stupplebeen, Landfill Worksite Supervisor 1, Dept. of Environmental Management; Karla H. Peters, Parks Project Manager, Dept. of Parks and Recreation; Kristi Lyn E.S. Ueoka, Supervising Law Technician, Dept. of the Corporation Counsel (combined nomination by departments of Corporation Counsel, Civil Defense Agency, Liquor, Personnel Services & Transportation).

Teams of the Year: Office of Economic Development, Office of the Mayor & Dept. of Management; Immigrant Services Division, Dept. of Housing & Human Concerns; Long Range Planning Division, Dept. of Planning; Vice Division, Dept. of Police; Felony Screening Division, Dept. of the Prosecuting Attorney; Central Maui Landfill Operations, Dept. of Environmental Management; Enforcement Section, Dept. of Parks & Recreation; Kamole Water Treatment Facility Retrofit & Upgrade, Dept. of Water Supply; Team DPS, Dept. of Personnel Services (combined nomination by departments of Corporation Counsel, Civil Defense Agency, Liquor, Personnel Services & Transportation).

Retirees: Dennis Souza, 34 years with the Department of Environmental Management; Hiedi Elizares, 30 years with the Department of Police; Thomas Miyamoto, 30 years with the Department of Water Supply; Kenneth T. Kikuchi, 28 years with the Department of Police; Patricia Toyama, 20 years with the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney; Ernest Amoral, Jr., 20 years of service with the Department of Public Works; Collette Kalawe, 18 years with Department of Parks & Recreation; Ronald Kono, 16 years with the Department of Housing & Human Concerns; and Harold Otani, 10 years with the Department of Public Works.

The employee recognition program is coordinated by the County of Maui
Department of Personnel Services in partnership with the Office of the
Mayor and the Directors and Deputies of each department, which nominates its own individual and team winners.