‘Making a lasting impact’: Ana Española named Kui Kauaʻi Employee of the Year

Kui Kauaʻi, Kauaʻi’s Office of Economic Development, named economic development specialist Ana Española — whose focus is on a sustainable future for the Garden Isle — as Employee of the Year.

“Ana Española is making a lasting impact on Kaua‘i,” wrote Kui Kaua‘i in a recent Instagram post honoring Española’s achievement, adding that the economic development specialist has played a key role in advancing sustainable agriculture, energy and transportation initiatives.

Española’s role within Kui Kauaʻi has included working with Kauaʻi County partners to organize an annual community Earth Day event and creating the Youth Climate Practitioners Course. Her work to execute a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields grant in Kekaha also strengthened community trust.

She is always willing to lend a helping hand to the county ʻohana, and has assisted with designing inter-sector programs.

Española took on federal grant management this year, stepping up to support the Kui Kauaʻi’s finance team as it shifted workloads after the loss of a dedicated accountant.

She prioritizes learning and seeks to improve her skills and relationships every day.

“Beyond her leadership in economic development, Ana has stepped up in countless ways beyond her leadership in economic development — revamping [Kui Kauaʻi’s] financial tracking system, supporting grant management and even growing her skills through continued education and community involvement,” the office wrote in its post.

That even includes learning ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), obtaining new certifications and sometimes conquering fears.

Española was born in the Philippines, where flooding is a normal circumstance and making climate change a fact of life for her growing up. She remembers being put in a bucket as a child while her parents cleared out their flooded living room.

Memories like that would shape her professional path.

Española came to the United States to study architecture at University of California, Berkeley, and then returned to her homeland, where she worked as a legislative analyst in Congress of the Philippines.

She eventually would came back to the U.S. and work as an urban planner in Pasadena, Calif., before later joining national service program AmeriCorps VISTA.

Española found herself in February 2021 on Kauaʻi for the first time during her time with AmeriCorps, learning how an island community addresses sustainability.

Her strong background in climate advocacy enabled her to create a position for herself within Kauaʻi County by August of that year.

“Her dedication to Kaua‘i’s future is inspiring, and we are proud to recognize her as Kui Kaua‘i’s Employee of the Year!” Kui Kauaʻi wrote in its Instagram post. “Mahalo, Ana, for everything you do for our island community!”