PO‘IPU — Tom Shigemoto had more lei than he had when he graduated Kaua‘i High School. Reacting to rousing applause from more than 300 people that attended the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce quarterly meeting, Shigemoto was announced as the Mea
PO‘IPU — Tom Shigemoto had more lei than he had when he graduated Kaua‘i High School.
Reacting to rousing applause from more than 300 people that attended the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce quarterly meeting, Shigemoto was announced as the Mea Ho‘omana‘o Award by the Chamber’s Joy Koerte.
“This is more lei than I got when I graduated,” the surprised Shigemoto said. “This award belongs to all of you, and I share this with you.”
Shigemoto, the Vice President of Planning for Alexander and Baldwin Properties and Kukui‘ula Development Co., has been involved in numerous government boards, committees and community organizations.
Currently, he is a member of the Kaua‘i Developer’s Council, the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce, the Kaua‘i United Way, the Lihu‘e Christian Church Board of Trustees, President of the Kaua‘i Americans of Japanese Ancestry Baseball Association, the American Red Cross Advisory Committee, and the District Chair for the Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council.
He was recently recognized with the Silver Beaver award, the highest award in the Boy Scouts of America program, for decades of dedication to the youth leadership program in Hawai‘i. During this award presentation, Joan Kealalio, an educational assistant at Kapa‘a High School and the Kaua‘i District Assistant Program Director for the BSA, Aloha Council, was also awarded the Silver Beaver award.
Shigemoto was born and raised on Kaua‘i, graduating from Kaua‘i High School and attending the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa where he graduated with a degree in Urban Planning.
He started his professional career a a planner with the County of Kaua‘i Planning Department in 1971. He was appointed the Deputy Planning Director in 1984 and advanced to become the Planning Director in 1988.
Shigemoto was the Director of Planning at Princeville Corp. before moving to A&B Properties.
He lives in Lihu‘e with his wife April. They have four sons — Taylor, Tyron, Tryson and T-Jay.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
