The Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism has named Donne Dawson as interim manager of the Hawai‘i Film Office until a permanent successor can be found.
Dawson was media director for the Hawai‘i International Film Festival until she stepped down last year. She also worked for the Maui Film Festival and as a reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Pacific Business News.
Dawson, who is not a candidate for the permanent position, won’t start her new position for a week or two because of prior commitments, said the department’s deputy director, Sharon Narimatsu. Dawson is expected to be interim manager for six to eight months, until a permanent manager is found.
The department is seeking to permanently fill the position vacated by Georgette Deemer, who resigned last month to work with public relations firm Becker Communications.
"We wanted to find someone who was not interested in the position in the long term, but who would be qualified to handle the office on an interim basis," Narimatsu said.
DBEDT chose to fill the interim manager slot with someone who was not a candidate for the permanent position, so that the interim manager would not have an advantage over other candidates, the deputy director said.
Narimatsu said the department is reviewing all applicants, but DBEDT will take time to make a thorough search for the best candidate before filling the position permanently.
