HART Loses Its Last Original Board Member
Damien Kim, who helped oversee the project since HART was formed, asked not to be reappointed. He’s not the only board member leaving this summer.
It鈥檚 the end of an era.
Damien Kim, chairman of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board and its last original member, has announced he鈥檒l step down this summer.
Kim was appointed to the volunteer board by the City Council in 2011, when HART was formed, and his most recent term expires June 30. He鈥檚 asked the council not to reappoint him even though he鈥檚 eligible, Kim told Civil Beat on Tuesday.
He鈥檚 agreed to stay on until the council replaces him, however. The board will likely pick his replacement to serve as chair at its next meeting, he added.
Kim serves as business manager and financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1186. He replaced former Rep. Colleen Hanabubusa as the HART board鈥檚 chair when she returned to Congress in 2016 and he鈥檚 remained in that post ever since.
He鈥檚 not the only member leaving the HART board this summer.
Ember Shinn has asked not to be reappointed when her term expires June 30, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell鈥檚 office confirmed Tuesday.
Shinn was appointed by Caldwell in 2017 to fill the board seat left early by William 鈥淏uzzy鈥 Hong. Shinn had previously served as Caldwell鈥檚 managing director. At HART she focused much of her efforts trying to reform .
A Caldwell spokesman said their office is currently searching for Shinn鈥檚 replacement.
When it was formed, HART鈥檚 board had 10 seats, including nine voting members. It was later expanded to14 seats as part of a 2017 state bailout package.
During his eight years on the board, Kim has seen at least 16 other members leave.
During the same period, the rail project managed to survive state and federal legal challenges — but its multi-billion-dollar budget has nearly doubled, and its completion date has been pushed back at least six years.
The project still faces tremendous uncertainty.
Several members left the HART board as part of the normal turnover in city and state administrations. However, others left to pursue different opportunities or because the council declined to reappoint them.
Kim said the workload for the volunteer board has increased as rail has faced more challenges. 鈥淚t does make it difficult,鈥 he said.
Overall, the HART agency itself has grappled with widespread turnover in key management positions.
鈥淚 appreciated the eight years i put on, believe it or not,鈥 Kim said Tuesday. 鈥淚 loved being on the board,鈥 as well as being part of a project 鈥渢hat will change the lives of everyone in Honolulu,鈥 he added.
