Rep. Ed Case appoints new Hawai‘i district director

Hawai‘i’s U.S. Rep. Ed Case has appointed longtime Hawai‘i federal, state and nonprofit executive Kekoa Kaluhiwa as his Deputy Chief of Staff and Hawai‘i District Director.

Kaluhiwa will be working out of Case’s Honolulu district office. Kaluhiwa joins Case after eight years with Kamehameha Schools, most recently as Director of ʻĀina Stakeholder Engagement, responsible for advancing the institution’s relationships with the community, government, and business sectors. He also directed Kamehameha’s statewide land operations, according to a news release from Case’s office.

Additionally, Kaluhiwa earlier served as First Deputy Director for the Hawai‘i State Department of Land and Natural Resources during the tenure of Case’s sister, Suzanne Case, as Director. His responsibilities included assisting in the management of the department’s 10 divisions, 900 employees and 1.2 million acres of public trust resources.

“In his 20 years of service across our federal, state and nonprofit sectors and more, Kekoa has excelled at policy advocacy, community engagement and government relations,” Case said. “He is especially skilled at moving easily among diverse communities, leading teams, building partnerships, and navigating complex cultural, political and environmental issues.”

Kaluhiwa follows Jacqueline Conant, who retired after 25 years of federal government service, including 11 years in Case’s Congressional office.

“Jackie exemplified the work of Congressional staff everywhere; they contribute immeasurably without widespread recognition to the critical work of Members of Congress on forging national policy, assisting our states and helping our constituents,” Case said. “Jackie also exemplified the unique role of a District Director to keep the critical district office functioning smoothly and to provide the face and voice of the office during the majority of the year when we are not home. While I miss her, I’m happy for her next
chapters, and know that Kekoa will provide the same level of service to my office and our community with his own twist.”

Kaluhiwa is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools-Kapālama and the University of Washington, with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He also earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa.