Hawaiʻi County Public Works Director Hugh Ono Retiring March 31 Deputy Director Neil Azevedo to Serve as Acting Director

Hawaiʻi County Public Works Director Hugh Ono Retiring March 31

Deputy Director Neil Azevedo to Serve as Acting Director

The County of Hawaiʻi announces that Public Works Director Hugh Ono will be retiring March 31. Deputy Director Neil Azevedo will serve as acting director until a permanent replacement is found.

Mayor Kimo Alameda thanked Ono, an esteemed engineer, for his service and noted that he had asked him to come out of retirement to help get the department on the right track.

“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, who was previously Public Works Director from 1984-1990, said it has been an honor to once again serve the County. He noted that he will 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.”