Nuland-Ames named EEO/ADA coordinator

LIHU‘E — Linda Nuland-Ames has been appointed as the equal employment opportunity (EEO)/Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator for the county, Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. announced Wednesday.

“Linda brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience and a passion for serving the community,” Carvalho said in a news release. “I know that she will be a tremendous asset in her new role with the county.”

For the past two years, Nuland-Ames has served as the project director for the Kaua’i RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) with the Agency on Elderly Affairs. She will assume her new position with the Office of the Mayor on Aug. 16.

Nuland-Ames has also been a member of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Equal Access (MACFEA) for 12 years and was recently elected its chair.

“I am looking forward to putting my experience to work in my new position, and working with all stakeholders to ensure that the county provides equal access and an environment free of discrimination,” said Nuland-Ames.

Her responsibilities will include: coordinate the county’s ADA plan; provide administrative support for MACFEA; ensure that the county remains in compliance with equal employment opportunity and anti-discrimination laws, policies, programs and practices; and ensure that the county complies with the requirements for accommodations under the ADA as well as coordinate this effort with county, state and federal agencies.

Before joining the county, Nuland-Ames worked for seven years providing legal research and organizing advocacy training in the areas of family law and the ADA. Prior to that, she served as a staff attorney for the Kaua‘i branch of the Hawai‘i Disability Rights Center.

During her tenure at the Southern Cross University School of Law, Nuland-Ames gained extensive experience as a mediator and teacher of mediation.