Gov. Josh Green has nominated longtime procurement official Bonnie Kahakui to serve as administrator and chief procurement officer of the state Procurement Office.

What You Need To Know

  • Kahakui has led the office in an interim capacity since January 2021 and previously served as assistant administrator

  • If approved by the state Senate, Kahakui would serve a four-year term, heading an office that oversees billions of dollars in contract awards and goods and services purchases made by the state each year

  • The appointment came as Green finalized the Hawaii Project Labor Agreement to ensure a steady labor supply to help rebuild Lahaina and support the state’s affordable housing efforts

  • It is estimated that at least 2,000 additional construction workers will be needed to rebuild Lahaina’s lost housing units

 

Kahakui has led the office in an interim capacity since January 2021 and previously served as assistant administrator.

“Bonnie Kahakui’s knowledge and background in procurement made her the natural choice to officially fill this critical position, especially at a time when Hawaii’s taxpayers expect accountability and integrity in managing public funds,” Green said in a release issued on Friday.

If approved by the state Senate, Kahakui would serve a four-year term, heading an office that oversees billions of dollars in contract awards and goods and services purchases made by the state each year.

“Our focus is to streamline processes across state government while locating the best goods and services for our taxpayers,” Kahakui said.

The appointment came as Green finalized the Hawaii Project Labor Agreement to ensure a steady labor supply to help rebuild Lahaina and support the state’s affordable housing efforts.

The agreement aligns with the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14063, which requires PLA’s for most large-scale federal construction projects.

As the governor’s office noted, PLAs help ensure that projects progress on schedule by helping contractors with the recruiting, hiring, and training of local workers and prohibiting labor disruptions. They also require out-of-state contractors to exhaust the supply of local workers before importing labor from the mainland.

It is estimated that at least 2,000 additional construction workers will be needed to rebuild Lahaina’s lost housing units.

“PLAs ensure that taxpayer dollars support public infrastructure and provide good-paying jobs for Hawaii residents,” Green said. “Looking toward the future of our people, the PLA presents an opportunity to create long-term career paths in construction for our local residents, giving them an opportunity to afford the high cost of living in Hawaii, and build the homes we need to get us out of this housing crisis.”