LIHU’E – When Cayetano “Sonny” Gerardo talks about where Kaua’i has been and where it is headed, he wants listeners to know his viewpoints are based on 25 years of service to the county. During those years, he worked in
LIHU’E – When Cayetano “Sonny” Gerardo talks about where Kaua’i has been and
where it is headed, he wants listeners to know his viewpoints are based on 25
years of service to the county.
During those years, he worked in the
administration of former Mayor Eduardo Malapit and served as the county civil
defense director, helping the island recover from two hurricanes. He retired
last year.
It is that type of government experience, Gerardo believes,
that would benefit Kaua’i in the future.
He worked for eight years as
administrative assistant to Malapit, whose administration in the mid-1970s
pushed for development and more public improvement projects.
Working in
that capacity was invaluable experience and gave him a keener understanding of
the nuts and bolts of running a county, Gerardo said.
“I understand local
government and the need to link with our big brother governments—the federal
and state governments,” Gerardo said.
As civili defense director for
nearly 20 years, Gerardo saw Kaua’i at some of the worst times in its
history—Hurricane Iwa in 1982 and Hurricane Iniki in 1992. The storms
devastated the island. In their wake, Gerardo worked with the military and
emergency relief workers to restore normalcy through the delivery of emergency
goods and services to residents.
Today, he said, he has his eyes on helping
Kaua’i by:
* Keeping the island’s economy strong as the sugar
industry—once the largest employer on Kaua’i and in Hawaii —fades.
“The
downturn of our economy is facing us, despite an upturn for the rest of our
nation,” Gerardo said. “Our sugar industry, the backbone for Kaua’i and Hawai’i
for a very long time, indicates that it is facing its last leg of operations as
an industry.”
Sugar employees who will be displaced as more plantations
close will have to find alternate employment, he said.
* Improving public
safety programs. Gerardo said there’s a need to reduce crime and make the
island safe for residents and visitors.
* Working with the state Department
of Education to improve educational programs for children.
* Preserving
Kauai’s natural beauty.
* Making sure the county keeps pace with
technological advances and prosperity the rest of the nation
enjoys.
Gerardo takes no stand on whether the current council members are
doing their jobs. Gerardo said change in the makeup of the council “will come
about because it is needed and a demand for change is made by the
people.”
As civil defense director, he said, he introduced to the council
two “important” pieces of proposed legislation related to emergency management
programs and operations.
A longtime Koloa resident, Gerardo has been
married for 37 years and has four children and four grandchildren. He attended
Hanama’ulu Elementary School, Kaua’i High School, National Technical Schools,
Kaua’i Community College, University of Hawaii at Manoa and technical schools
and colleges as a county employee.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be
reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and lchang@pulitzer.net
