Hawaii County hires recovery officer to help with disaster response

Hawaii County has announced the hiring of Kanani Aton as recovery officer.

Aton, who has served in a volunteer role in support of the county’s Naalehu Cemetery recovery effort, started her new position Monday as part of the mayor’s office.

As recovery officer, she will be responsible for leading and coordinating the county’s disaster recovery operations and overseeing community engagement.

While Bill 157, adopted by the County Council, calls for a recovery officer to serve for the duration of a recovery operation following a disaster, Mayor Kimo Alameda made the role a permanent position within the administration to ensure continuity, effective coordination between agencies and responsible long-term planning in support of residents and communities.

“As we have seen with the numerous disasters that have happened this year — from the Kona-low storms through Hurricane Lala — recovery planning is not limited to a single event. It requires year-round commitment, and we are excited to welcome Kanani Aton, who has the experience and knowledge needed to ensure that our island always comes back stronger than before,” Alameda said Friday. “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.”

Aton, a Hilo resident, was most recently senior project manager for the Kamehameha Schools ‘Oiwi Leadership Institute. She has also served as a public information and disaster recovery specialist with the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency.