HILO, Hawaiʻi – Hugh Ono, Director of the Hawaiʻi County Department of Public Works, will retire from his position on March 31st, the County of Hawaiʻi announced today. Ono, a respected engineer who previously served as Public Works Director from 1984 to 1990, returned to the post at the request of Mayor Kimo Alameda to revitalize the department.
Neil Azevedo, the current Deputy Director, will serve as Acting Director while the County searches for a permanent replacement.
Mayor Alameda expressed his sincere gratitude to Ono for his service and contributions to the County.”I asked Hugh Ono to join our team to help bring common sense back to Public Works,” Mayor Alameda said. “In almost four months, he has accomplished that and more. We are grateful for his dedication to his staff, our residents, and his contributions to fixing our permitting system. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to take the reins. His leadership has already made a remarkable difference, and we are fortunate that he was able to join us and get our administration off to a strong start.”
Ono, in turn, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to serve the County again. He stated that he would be re-entering retirement to focus on family obligations.
“Our department has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, including reducing the review time for building permits and increasing responsiveness to traffic improvement and safety requests,” he said. “I can’t say enough about our team, and I am thankful for the opportunity to lead such a talented group of people. I also want to express my deep gratitude to Mayor Kimo Alameda for his support and entrusting me with the responsibility to serve the community.”
The County is now actively seeking a permanent replacement for the Public Works Director position. Further details regarding the search process will be announced in the coming weeks. In the interim, Deputy Director Neil Azevedo will assume the role of Acting Director, ensuring the continued operation of the department and its commitment to serving the residents of Hawaiʻi County.
