Outstanding state employees honored for public service

Posted on May 30, 2018 in Featured

The everyday heroes who provide the services Hawai‘i’s citizens have come to expect — and who work to make things better for all of us — were honored at the May 23 Governor’s Employees of the Year event. “All of the individuals and teams being recognized have selflessly given of themselves to enrich the lives of those they serve,” said Governor Ige. “Their accomplishments make our state a special place to live and work.”

Among the 54 exceptional state employees, managers and work teams honored were those singled out as “the best of the best.” The top winners for 2018 are:

State Manager of the Year JoAnn Vidinhar and Director Leonard Hoshijo of DLIR with the governor.

• State Manager of the Year: JoAnn Vidinhar, disability compensation administrator, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations – Vidinhar was recognized for her fresh, innovative leadership to improve the division’s business processes, reduce delays for injured workers to receive compensation and implement a $3.3 million modernization project.

State Employee of the Year Susan Hansen and Director Catherine Awakuni Colon of DCCA with Gov. Ige.

• State Employee of the Year: Susan Hansen, CIAF insurance examiner, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs – Hansen has devoted countless hours to developing a more accessible system to digitize and manage documents for the Captive Insurance Branch without incurring additional software costs. The long-term benefits will maintain Hawai‘i’s competitive edge in the captive insurance market.

Governor Ige congratulates Attorney General Russell Suzuki and Deirdre Marie-Iha of the state Attorney General’s office for their Team of the Year award.

• State Team of the Year: 2017 Maui Hospitals Transition Team, Department of the Attorney General –This team of 10 outstanding attorneys provided the legal support to make possible the largest privatization effort in Hawai‘i’s history. The transfer of health care services on Maui and Lana‘i from Hawai‘i Health Systems to Kaiser Permanente involved reviewing more than 500 contracts, consulting with employee unions and producing a comprehensive lease document that will serve the community for decades to come.