Myles Hironaka, formerly a senior planner in the county’s Planning Department, is the newest appointee to Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste’s cabinet, replacing Gary Hennigh as the deputy planning director. Hennigh, deputy planning director for the past year, will be returning
Myles Hironaka, formerly a senior planner in the county’s Planning Department, is the newest appointee to Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste’s cabinet, replacing Gary Hennigh as the deputy planning director.
Hennigh, deputy planning director for the past year, will be returning to King Cove, Alaska, to serve as its city manager.
Hironaka has been with the Planning Department for over 20 years, with experience in both long-range and regulatory planning functions. He is a graduate of Kapa‘a High School and the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
“I thank Planning Director Ian Costa and the Baptiste administration for giving me this opportunity to serve as the deputy director,” Hironaka said.
“The position presents a new challenge for me, and I look forward to helping Ian, the (Planning) commission and Mayor Baptiste implement the plans and programs for the betterment of Kaua‘i,” said Hironaka.
Hennigh, whose resignation was effective March 27, returns to the King Cove city-manager post, a position he held for 14 years before joining the County of Kaua‘i team.
During his term with the Planning Department, Hennigh worked closely with senior planner Keith Nitta overseeing long-range planning projects in Lihu‘e and Kilauea.
He also was responsible for developing the initial approach and relationship for a coastal-erosion study contract with the University of Hawai‘i, as well as the coordination of the in-house departmental review of revised Special Management Area rules and regulations.
Hennigh said he remains supportive of the administration, and will continue to be part of the Kaua‘i community.
“Returning to Alaska will be bittersweet, as my wife and I have found Kaua‘i to be a very special place,” Hennigh said. “We certainly plan on returning to Kaua‘i on a permanent basis sometime in the future.”
“While we will surely miss Gary and the contributions he has made to both the Planning Department and the community, we are extremely fortunate that Myles Hironaka has stepped forward and accepted this challenge,” Costa stated.
Hironaka officially assumed his new post on Monday, March 28.
A lifetime resident of Kaua‘i, he and his wife, Irene, reside in Wailua.
