Kanani Aton stepped into a new role as recovery officer for the County of Hawaiʻi on Monday.
Hawaiʻi County Council adopted Bill 157 in July to institutionalize disaster recovering operations. Mayor Kimo Alameda made the role a permanent position within his administration.
As recovery officer, Aton will lead and coordinate the County's disaster recovery operations, work with state and federal partners responsible for disaster recovery programs and funding, oversee community engagement, according to the bill.
The bill states, "establishing a disaster recovery framework within the office of the mayor that activates, when necessary, will reduce institutional learning loss between disasters, enable a more efficient transition from emergency response to recovery operations, and strengthen the County's capacity to secure and effectively deploy state and federal disaster recovery resources, while maintaining ongoing, community-informed engagement throughout the recovery process."
Alameda stated in a news release that recovery planning requires year-round commitment, as shown through the Kona low storms and Hurricane Lala.
"From the start, our administration has made it a priority to improve disaster response and recovery – including coordination between government agencies, nonprofits and the community – and Kanani will play a key part in that effort," he stated.
Aton, of Hilo, obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Hawai'i and her master's degree from Heritage College, according to her LinkedIn.
She most recently was as a senior project manager for the Kamehameha Schools ʻŌiwi Leadership Institute for five years. She previously served as a public information and disaster recovery specialist with the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency and a public information and education specialist with the Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply, according to the news release.
Aton stated in the news release, "my focus will be coordinating the efforts of County departments, State and Federal partners, and affected communities to deliver a recovery that is well organized, inclusive, and builds long-term resilience for Hawaiʻi Island.”
Haley Lehman can be reached at haley@alohastatedaily.com.
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