Updated at 3:27 p.m., Friday, July 6, 2007
Interim state Labor director appointed
Advertiser Staff
Former state Board of Education member Darwin Ching has been appointed to serve as interim director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Gov. Linda Lingle has announced.Ching will replace current director Nelson Befitel, who asked not to be considered for reappointment for a second term. Ching's appointment is subject to confirmation by the State Senate when it reconvenes in January. He will start his new position on Aug. 6, 2007.
Ching, an attorney, was appointed by Lingle to fill a vacant seat on the state Board of Education in August 2005. He was defeated in an election bid for a full term on the board in November 2006.
Ching is a private practice attorney who focuses on criminal, personal injury, business dispute, and family law. Previously, he was a law partner in the firm Yoshida and Ching, and worked with the law firm of Graulty, Ikeda, Ching & Yoshida.
