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For Immediate Release: January 28, 2026
20-001
OahuMPO Announces Elections of New Policy Board Chair and Vice Chair
OAHU —The Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OahuMPO) is pleased to announce that Councilmember Val Aquino Okimoto has been elected to serve a two-year term as Chair of the Policy Board, and House Representative Darius K. Kila has been elected to serve a two-year term as Vice Chair of the Policy Board. The OahuMPO Policy Board is the designated forum for local officials to jointly discuss, evaluate, and select transportation projects paid for with federal funds.
OahuMPO Executive Director Mark Garrity said, “I would like to congratulate Councilmember Okimoto on her election to Policy Board Chair and look forward to working with her as we continue to develop an equitable, safe, and reliable transportation system for all who live on and visit Oahu.”
The Chair and Vice Chair were elected in a unanimous vote by Policy Board members. The roles of Chair and Vice Chair are chosen on a rotating basis between members of the City Council and members of the State Legislature.
“It is an honor to be appointed as the Chair of the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Policy Board. The work we do at OahuMPO is fundamental to the daily lives of our residents, from improving road safety to modernizing our transit systems. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues and our community partners to ensure our transportation investments are equitable, sustainable, and reflective of Oahu’s long-term needs,” said Councilmember Okimoto, who previously served as Vice Chair of the Policy Board.
“As we look ahead to the next two years, I am honored to continue serving on the Policy Board at the will of the Legislature,” said Representative Kila, who served as the Chair for the Policy Board for the past two years. “In my role as Chair of the House Committee on Transportation, I will remain actively engaged in shaping policies that strengthen our transportation systems and better meet the needs of our communities.”
Meeting notices for the Policy Board, CAC, and TAC are posted on the OahuMPO Calendar as well as on the State of Hawaii Public Meetings & Events Calendar.
Mark Garrity, Executive Director, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization
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