A Message From the Chapter President - Winter 2021

Aloha APA Members,

As we pass the one year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been reflecting on a year of loss and unimaginable disruption and am grateful for all of the frontline workers who have served our communities through these difficult times. Thanks to the amazing work of scientists who developed safe and effective vaccines, we can look to the future with a sense of hope and optimism. After a year of living within small bubbles, we look forward to times when we can reconnect with family members, friends, and colleagues safely in-person.

I want to thank the APA Hawaiʻi Executive Committee for their service over the past year. Our organization relies on volunteer leaders who continued to share their time and knowledge through a challenging year when many faced additional work responsibilities while also taking on new careers as teachers, caretakers, and more. Our 2020 Annual Report summarizes the Chapter’s activities and accomplishments over the last year. While we aren’t able to resume “normal” activities just yet, work continues to plan virtual events and continue Chapter initiatives. The Executive Committee spent time on a recent Saturday planning out our annual work plan, with a commitment to continue to serve our members.

We are excited to share that APA, together with the four counties and State Office of Planning will be putting on a jointly-sponsored virtual Hawaiʻi Congress of Planning Officials (HCPO) conference later this year. As many of you know, the counties and State typically rotate hosting the conference on an annual basis. This will be the first year that all agencies work together to put on a conference and we are looking forward to the opportunity to highlight planning from across the State. And, we can all look forward to meeting again in person for HCPO 2022 when the County of Kauaʻi will welcome us to their island.

This year, APA Hawaiʻi will also be forming a new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee within the Executive Committee. At the national level, APA has made a committment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. In 2018 the APA Board of Directors adopted a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and in 2019, the Planning for Equity Policy Guide was released. With these guiding documents, we look forward to establishing our own equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives at the Chapter level. If you are interested in being involved in our new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee, please email me at tessa@munekiyohiraga.com

Thank you for continuing to be part of our planning community in Hawaiʻi. Please continue to stay safe and I look forward to seeing you at our virtual programs!

Mahalo,

Tessa Munekiyo Ng, AICP

Chapter President