Aiona Gets Money From State Officials, Churches and Business

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A number of Hawaii state executives, churches and local businesses have put their money behind Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona in his bid to become Hawaii’s next governor.

Civil Beat took a look at who has donated to the Aiona campaign from Jan. 1, 2009 leading up to the primary election. Aiona had raised $2.82 million through Sept. 15, counting $196,063 cash on hand at the start of his campaign, and will no doubt be raising more money to face off with Democratic opponent Neil Abercrombie.

More than two dozen state executives have donated to Aiona’s campaign since Jan. 1, 2009. They include:

Governor’s Office

  • Viola Alipio, executive assistant in the lieutenant governor’s office, $400
  • Celyn Chong Kee, public liaison in the lieutenant governor’s office, $1,150
  • Lois Hamaguchi, former communications spokesman in the governor’s office (now with DBEDT), $200
  • George Kaya, liaison officer in the governor’s office, $5966.64
  • Lenny Klompus, communications advisor to the governor, $2,000
  • Marcia Klompus, director of scheduling in the governor’s office, $6,000
  • Glenn Shigeta, special assistant to the governor, $600

Budget and Finance, Accounting

  • Georgina Kawamoto, director of the Department of Budget and Finance, $700
  • Robert Piper, deputy director of the Department of Budget and Finance, Aiona’s former chief of staff, $3,250
  • Russ Saito, comptroller for the Department of Accounting and General Services, $4,000

Tax Department

  • Kurt Kawafuchi, former director, $1,100
  • Sandra Yahiro, former deputy director, $400

Public Safety, Defense

  • James Propotnick, deputy director of the Department of Public Safety, $475
  • Harold DeCosta, deputy chief negotiator, state Department of Public Safety, $2,100
  • Gary Ishikawa, deputy adjutant general, state Department of Defense, $3,800

Hawaiian Home Lands, Land and Natural Resources, Agriculture

  • Ken Kawahara, deputy director, Department of Land and Natural Resources, $300
  • Lloyd Yonenaka, public information officer, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, $400
  • Micah Kane, former director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (now a Kamehameha Schools trustee), $750
  • Sandra Kunimoto, chair of the state Board of Agriculture, $200

Health, Labor, HR

  • Marie Laderta, director of the Department of Human Resources, $700
  • Ryan Markham, public information officer, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, $1,300
  • Alletha Oliva, deputy director, Department of Human Services, $1,000
  • Noemi Pendleton, executive director of the Executive Office on Aging, Department of Health, $300

DBEDT, Attorney General, Transportation

  • Mark Anderson, deputy director, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, $400
  • Kristin Izumi-Nitao, deputy attorney general, $400
  • Brennon Morioka, former director of the state Department of Transportation, $1,000
  • Georja Skinner, business and industry development administrator, DBEDT, $150
  • Jeffrey Yamashita, state chief investigator, $6,000

Aiona also received a lot of financial backing from Hawaii businesses. Here are some of the more recognizable business donors:

Energy Folks

  • First Wind of Massachusetts, $3,000
  • Puna Geothermal, $700
  • Tesoro Hawaii PAC, $900
  • Tesoro Hawaii Noncandidate Committee PAC, $300

Autodealers

  • Joe Nicolai, CEO of JN Automotive Group, $1,475
  • New City Nissan Honolulu, $2,000
  • Franklin Kudo, New City Nissan, $2,500
  • Cycle City of Iwilwi, $2,000
  • Patrick Aiona, general manager of Aiona Car Sales in Hilo, $2,100
  • Morrie Stoebner, president of Honda Windward, $1,000
  • Damien Farias, general manager of Maui Toyota, $1,200

Banks

  • Warren Luke, president and CEO of Hawaii National Bank, $650
  • Austin Imamura, bank officer for Pacific Rim Bank, $4,500
  • CPB Pac-State, $5,650
  • First Hawaiian Bank, $1,000

Developers, Real Estate

  • Gary Iwamoto, project manager for Hawaii Dredging Construction Co., $6,000
  • Charles Thurston, vice president of contracting company Thurston Pacific, $2,350
  • Kathleen Thurston, president of Thurston Pacific, $6,000
  • Mary Philpotts McGrath, founder of architecture firm Philpotts & Associates, $800
  • Marvin Fong, CEO of commercial real estate firm Market City, $6,000
  • Michael Wood, co-founder of real estate development company MW Group, $2,500
  • Edward Casey Roohan, president of Castle & Cooke, $6,000
  • Michael Wright, executive vice president at Alexander & Baldwin, $2,800

Transportation, Tourism

  • George Pasha, president and CEO of shipping company The Pasha Group, $1,200
  • Leiana Robinson, Ni’ihau Ranch manager, $2,700
  • Ed Hogan, chairman and CEO of Pleasant Travel Services, $3,810
  • Edward Araujo, sales manager for Aloha Air Cargo, $900
  • Pamela Tumpap, president of the Maui Chamber of Commerce, $250

Retail, General Business

  • Carol Ai May, vice president of City Mill, $1,500
  • D. Otani Produce (via Jessie, Joey and Matthew Otani) $17,621.92
  • Erwin Hudelist, former president of Hagadone Printing Co., $6,000
  • Roger Godfrey, former president of Times Super Market chain, $6,000
  • David Arita, president of The Carpet Shoppe in Aiea, $6,000
  • David Kowalski, vice president at Avalon Health Care Hawaii, $6,000
  • Sidney Ayabe, attorney at Ayabe, Chong, Nishimoto, Sia & Nakamura, $6,000
  • Robert Bean, president and CEO of Alert Alarm of Hawaii, $6,000
  • Gae Bergquist Trommald, vice president at Communications Pacific, $3,350
  • Signe Godfrey, president of Olsten Staffing Service, $900
  • Round Table Pizza of Lahaina, $1,100
  • Hawaii Association of Realtors, $2,000

Education

Aiona received contributions from dozens of school teachers and administrators. He also got money from Kevin Takamori ($300) and Walter Kirimitsu ($700), the vice principal and principal, respectively, of Saint Louis High School, Aiona’s alma mater.

Churches, Pastors

Aiona got sizable support from churches, with the largest contribution $6,000 from New Hope Chapel of Honolulu鈥檚 Pastor Charlotte Skaaning. He also received $230 from Hope Chapel Waipahu Pastor Allen Cardines Jr., the new executive director of the Hawaii Family Forum.

Here are some of the rest:

  • Church on the Go Inc., Maui, $150
  • Glad Tidings Church, Pastor Renee Godoy, $200
  • Good Shepherd Church, Minister Scott Euken, $600
  • Grace Bible Church, Pastor Edward Asato, $1,050
  • Grace Church of Kula, Pastor Robert Finberg, $320
  • Grace Church of Kula, Dana Ventura, bookkeeper, $125
  • Hope Chapel Kapolei, Associate Pastor Jan Tetsutani, $300
  • Hope Chapel Kapolei, Pastor Garret Shon, $250
  • Hope Chapel Kaneohe, Pastor Alvin Kalama, $125
  • Hilo Missionary Church, Pastor Daniel Kikawa, $600
  • In His House of Restoration Church, Pastor John DeMello, $1,000
  • It鈥檚 All His, Minister Nathan Paikai, $200
  • Kings Cathedral, Senior Pastor James Marocco, $500
  • Kings Cathedral, Minister Anne Fujii, $125
  • Leo Borgee, self-employed minister, $450
  • Moanalua Gardens Church, Youth Pastor Charis Chinen, $200
  • MGMC, Pastor Calvin Chinen, $800
  • Nanaikapono Protestant Church, Minister Steven Zurcher, $425
  • New Hope Kauai, Pastor Don Kimi, $3,200
  • Thy Word Ministries, Minister Robert Tominaga, $550

Read all of Aiona’s contributions .

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