BOB AGRES NAMED NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Hawaiʻi County has named Robert “Bob” Agres the new Deputy Director of the Department of Research and
Development. Bob is a longtime public servant and most recently served as Manager for Disaster Recovery
Community Engagement and Collaboration under the Planning Department. Before joining the County of
Hawaiʻi, Bob held various leadership roles in the City and County of Honolulu, Islander Institute, Hawaiʻi
Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, and the County of Maui. He succeeds Sulma Gandhi,
whose passion for rural healthcare led her to accept a position with one of Hawaiʻi’s premier philanthropic
organizations leading their healthcare portfolio for the islands.
“Bob Agres is the right person at this time to help lead the Department of Research & Development as we work
to achieve Mayor Roth’s vision of a sustainable, equitable, and thriving Hawaii Island,” said Doug Adams,
Director of Research and Development. “Bob’s community experience, aloha for our island and her people, and
focus on pono practices connect directly with our team’s efforts moving forward.”
“We are extremely fortunate to have found someone with a proven track record of community-minded
leadership and unwavering commitment to our island and its residents to step up to help lead the Department of
Research and Development,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “Bob has proven to be a tireless advocate for those who
have endured hardships as a result of the 2018 Lower Puna eruption, and we know that he will bring that same
passion and vigor to the rest of our island, as we all work to make Hawaiʻi Island sustainable for generations to
come.”