Mayor Billy Kenoi has tapped the founder of Mokulele Airlines to head the county Department of Research and Development.
Rebecca Kawehi Inaba, 50, a former pilot who created her own airline and then went on to form several other companies, most recently the Fit Xpress Hawaii Inc. women’s gym in Kailua-Kona, was unanimously confirmed Wednesday by the Hawaii County Council.
A Konawaena High School graduate, Inaba will lead a department that has 14 positions devoted to everything from promoting agriculture to grant writing to compiling business statistics to economic development to promoting tourism and the film industry. She’ll earn $99,000 annually.
Kenoi told the council he wasn’t sure Inaba would accept the position, but he had to ask.
“We like leave office with high energy, plenty of aloha and multiple projects,” said Kenoi, who is term limited at the end of 2016. “You’ve got to have people willing to throw it down.”
In addition to Mokulele and Fit Xpress, Inaba owned and operated Kupaa Business Planners Inc., a marketing consulting firm in Kailua-Kona. She was an executive for Provo, Utah-based Nu Skin/Pharmanex products.
She’s also affiliated with Ulumau Leadership Series, Daniel Sayre Foundation, Jonathan Dale Miller Foundation, Hawaii Community Foundation and is a Life Plan Program mentor at Kealakehe High School.
Inaba replaces Laverne Omori, who retired.
Under questioning from Hilo Councilman Aaron Chung, Inaba said she’ll sit down with staff and learn their projects and priorities before defining her vision for the department.
“We’ll take care of the things that have already been set in place, but at the same time, we’ll be forward thinking, looking for bigger wows,” Inaba said.
Council members praised Kenoi’s choice. North Kona Councilwoman Karen Eoff said she’s known Inaba for more than 20 years.
“Even though Kawehi is an entrepreneurial, successful businesswoman and always on the move, she always put her family first,” Eoff said. “Kawehi has an endless amount of energy.”
“This island is right now in a place where we’re changing and we need somebody (qualified) in that position,” said Hamakua Councilwoman Valerie Poindexter. “She encompasses all that Billy talked about, the commitment, the compassion and the courage. … she comes from the heart.”
Inaba said she was first reluctant to accept the position, but she came around.
“I realized I couldn’t tell our mayor no,” Inaba said. “It’s a gift that had been given to me. … It’s going to be an intense but fun 22 months.”
Kenoi said he was relieved when Inaba agreed.
“It’s not a big department, but it’s an important department,” Kenoi said. “I’m so thankful that she said yes.”