Fountain-Tanigawa, Topenio appointed by county clerk

LIHU‘E — Jade Fountain-Tanigawa was appointed deputy county clerk and Eddie Topenio, Jr. was named administrative assistant to the county clerk, County Clerk Ricky Watanabe announced in a press release Wednesday.

“Jade has been the backbone of council services for many years. She has the experience and knowledge to provide efficient services to the Kaua‘i County Council and the public. She is truly an asset for our organization,” Watanabe said.

Fountain-Tanigawa has worked in the Council Services Division for more than 20 years, starting as a legislative assistant and most recently serving as council services administrator, where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Council Services Division.

She is a graduate of the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif. and is an alumnus of The Kamehameha Schools.

Topenio, as the administrative assistant to the county clerk, will be undertaking many operational projects and programs for the County Clerk’s Office.

“With Eddie’s assistance, our office structure will make significant improvements toward serving the public even more efficiently,” Watanabe said.

Prior to arriving at the County Clerk’s Office, Topenio worked at the Princeville Resort as a banquet manager for 10 years. He graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa with a bachelor’s degree in political science and is an alumnus of ‘Iolani High School.

The Office of the County Clerk is charged with oversight of the legislative functions of the Kaua‘i County Council.

The office is separated by two divisions — the Council Services Division and Elections Divisions — both of which are managed by the county clerk.

• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.