Posted on: Saturday, December 25, 2004

Two more named to city Cabinet

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Mayor-elect Mufi Hannemann announced two appointments to his Cabinet yesterday, naming Eric Takamura director of the city's Department of Environmental Services and Kevin Yoshino director of the Department of Customer Services.

Hannemann also has created a new position of press secretary to the mayor, assigning former television journalist Bill Brennan as his administration's chief spokesman.

Takamura is now the vice president and chief operating officer for Environet Inc., an engineering firm. He said his biggest priority is to reduce the amount of trash going to the Waimanalo Gulch landfill through recycling and alternative technology. He also said he wants to fulfill Hannemann's promise to close the landfill by 2008.

Mayor Jeremy Harris had promised Leeward residents that the city would close the landfill by 2008, but the City Council voted this month to expand the landfill while looking for disposal alternatives.

"I think we need to kind of solve our solid waste problems," Takamura said.

Yoshino is now the director of the customer account services division at Hawaiian Electric Co. He also leads Yoshino & Associates, a marketing company.

Both Takamura and Yoshino require confirmation by the City Council.

In a departure from the Harris administration, which assigned media duties to the Customer Services director, Hannemann has opted for a press secretary.

Brennan, who at one time covered Honolulu Hale as a reporter for KHON-TV, is now the spokesman for the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.