Jolean Yamada 
Aging & Disability Svcs Mgr
Office of Aging

"I am nominating Jolean because she has always gone above and beyond what I'm use to in terms of help for our elderly and just help in general from people.  I only met Jolean about a year and a half ago when my mother ran into some medical issues and from the get go she treated us like we matter, like we were family.  She always returned my calls, meets with us whenever we have questions, and consistently checked in on us. In fact she was willing to come with me to HIAC for a meeting about a discrepancy on care for my mother, she was the only one who offered to step up for me.  That's who you have in Jolean Yamada, she has old school values and morals!  She is what we are missing in this world, someone who doesn't only have a profession but a PURPOSE to help others and is willing too go above and beyond.  We just love her..." Jason & Maureen S.

"Jolene was very instrumental in helping me to acquire services for my grandmother after her stroke. She helped me to meet with social services at Hale Anuenue and preparations for my grandmother for release at home. Made sure she had the necessary equipment to be safe at home." - Cynthia H.

"Ms Yamada provided us with invaluable help in arranging for home assistance first, then later in helping our minister, Rev Ann Yoshie Nagai, with placement in a care facility.  This was something we were at loss regarding the steps needed.  Ms Yamada’s valuable guidance and information helped us to ensure the health & safety of our 93 year old widowed minister who was without any family in Hawaii or in Japan.  She was very compassionate, patient and knowledgeable, not only “doing her job,” but moreso.  I am very appreciative of Ms Yamada’s excellent support and very honored to nominate her for this recognition. We directors of the Konko Mission of Hilo, while not related to Rev Ann Nishida, retired minister of the church,  still felt morally responsible to help our beloved minister who appeared to be showing signs of rapidly progressing dementia.  Yet we were at loss regarding the necessary steps to take to ensure Rev Nagai’s safety & well being as she resided alone at our church.  Ms Yamada advised us regarding the steps to request home assistance to help her with her daily needs & care.  But even as we were provided with a home assistant through the Kupuna Services office, Ms Yamada continued following up on Rev Nagai’s situation and further helped us to secure a place in a care facility.  This was becoming an urgent situation because Rev Nagai was robbed twice at her residence and as her memory became increasingly faulty, we became increasingly concerned for her ability to be safe at the church residence.  As we considered various options for a care facility, Ms Yamada personally accompanied the church director with Power of Attorney (POA) Mr. Masahiro Nishida, to update HMSA’s records for Rev Nagai, facilitated applications for Medicaid inclusion, escorted the director Nishida on a tour of LifeCare facilities & services, & helped with application for admission.  Clearly, Ms Yamada demonstrated the best of services that her department provides.  The outcome of her excellent work is the assurance that the director and congregation of Konko Mission of Hilo have that our deeply respected and highly deserving minister is at last in safe hands.  Ms Jolean Yamada is largely responsible for this happy outcome!" - Sharyn H. 

 

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Juju Baldogo 
Vehicle Registration and Licensing Clerk
Finance

"Always friendly, kind, happy, knowledgeable and reliable. Great Customer Service every single time! Never misses!" - Sonja L.

"Tony goes out of his way to make sure our verification forms are done in a timely manner so we can meet required owner notification deadlines. This is done on a weekly basis. Our forms are dropped off at least once a week, sometimes twice a week. Tony goes out of his way to stay on top of getting them done in a timely manner." - Cynthia H

 

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Sharlotte Bird
Detective
Hawaii Police Department, Area II Juvenile Aid Section

"Sharlotte Bird has been pivotal in investigating crimes that involved juveniles for over 10 years. Det. Bird has been exceptional in her rapport building with service partners, and community members. Det. Bird has an outstanding attitude and is always willing to be a part of a team. She has set a high standard in supporting the Children’s Justice Center and it’s multidisciplinary team in their activities and investigations of child abuse and neglect." - Lacey H.

Jaclyn Araujo
Clerk III
Planning Department

 

"She has been exceptionally helpful, Knowledgeable, and pleasant."- Robin P.

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Derek Simmons
Senior Lifeguard
Parks & Recreation – Aquatics
Kona Community Aquatic Center

 

" Derek constantly evaluates changes at the aquatic center from the perspective of the community. While he needs to follow county rules, union rules, employee requests he weighs heavily the impact on the community. Ultimately it’s the community’s satisfaction that is the final measure of running a successful recreation facility. The challenges are always changing and Derek works with county employees and pool patrons to create the best environment possible given some pretty major challenges. " - Dave G.

"Above and beyond service to the swimming community of Kona.. Derick goes out of his way to make the swimming activities go smoothly and safely in our community."- Rick H.

"He goes above and beyond his position as head lifeguard. Derek is always at the pool. He wants to pool to be open and knows that people rely on the pool for their health as well as all the kids that are on the swim teams that call the Kona pool home. The Kona Aquatics and Dolphins hosted the state age group championship for all the islands. Derek was there the whole time making sure things were running smoothly and took extra time and care to make sure the pool was secure in the evenings." - Jess K

"Derek has done an excellent job keeping our pool a safe and fun place for our community and caring about each individual. He goes above and beyond to make sure people have access to the pool, water safety, exercise, and fun. I observed how Derek helped with the novice swim team. He really took time to teach those kids, and help them to be strong and confident swimmers. Caring about each kid and their parents. And then after their state championship, still coming in and helping our swim team to have a wonderful meet at the pool the very next day." - Elizabeth T.

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Leslie Dawn Miller-Sablan 
SWFA 
Dept. of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division

 

"Leslie is very helpful and goes out of her way to communicate with us. On numerous occasions, we’ve had people from the general public call us when they tried to dump something that was not acceptable and they say things like the nice lady at the transfer station said to call you folks to dispose of these items, so she’s obviously engaging with the community as well. I witnessed when an older man stopped by with bags of plastic that his wife had been saving. He was very proud of her for caring so much and went on to say that she recently passed and he was trying to finish the job for her. If it wasn’t for Dawn taking the time to explain to him where to go, he wouldn’t have had that satisfaction of closure. Taking the time to talk to someone and be helpful, can make a much bigger impact on someone’s life than we even know. " - Jeri P.

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Alvin “Taich” Chong
Overseer (Boss)
Public roads, North and South Kohala

"On November 28, 2023, his quick thinking and actions to take my husband to the fire department (when my husband was arguing and telling him he was just overheated) saved his life. He was having a heart attack, specifically called a widow maker. The Doctor who performed the surgery said the real hero is the person who got him to the fire department in a timely manner." - Kimberly A.

 

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Keon Orlando
Pool lifeguard
Parks and Recreation- Aquatics

"Keon is very passionate about his job and is always a reliable worker. Keon assisted a man that was having a stroke at the Pahoa pool. He responded to the situation accordingly and remained calm while keeping everyone else calm as well." - Emma F.

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Abraham Alvarez 
Recreation Technician II
Parks and Recreation 

"Abe helped me with all the information I need to sign up my grandson for summer fun. Without his help I wouldn't have known where to even start. He is always friendly and so kind. Excellent customer e went above and beyond to help me." - Tawny V.

"Abraham is a hard worker that puts his heart into his community. Abraham was extremely friendly with a positive attitude. He went above and beyond to clean the area we were playing in as well as made sure all of our keiki was safe and having fun." - Brittany A.

 

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Charmaine Felipe
Administrative Service Asst I
Office of Aging

"Because she is a great help for my handicapped placard and incredibly kind human being." - Kirk W.

 

 

 

 

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Fabrin Estrada
Park Caretaker 1
Parks & Recreation 
Maintenance Division – Laupahoehoe

"I walk everyday down at the point...and have watched day after day how hard this man works at keeping this  park impeccable...cleaning up peoples messes...the. ...thankless job of keeping the restrooms clean....manicuring the grounds....washing down the pavillions...he treats the park with the respect it deserves. I am really impressed with his work ethic....even when he thinks no one is watching." - Golde W.

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Stacie Waltjen
Liquor Control Licensing Officer
Liquor Control

"Stacie and her team have helped our businesses operate safely and seamlessly thanks to her professionalism, spirit of Aloha, unfailing customer service and hard work. Stacie is always kind and readily available to help businesses understand the sometimes complex rules of the liquor commission. She is patient and takes the time to painstakingly explain, step-by-step, what businesses need to do in order to operate safely and successfully. There’s an unfair stereotype that state or county employees don’t work as hard as the private sector, but Stacie shatters this notion with her constant monitoring of emails. She has responded to us in the evenings, on weekends, and anytime we need help. And when she refers us to her teammates, the entire department has always exhibited the same helpful positivity that she does." - Jolene M.

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Alex Kuklenko
Building Maintenance Worker 
Parks and Recreation,maintenance(Kona)

"Proactive, conscientious work at Makaeo walking path, water line maintenance and replacement.  When our nonprofit Friends for Fitness replaced water lines in the Old Airport park, Alex coordinated timing of tie-ins to minimize outages and wait time for our volunteer gardeners. Without asking, he checked snd tightened any of the fittings we installed if he saw leaks. He coached me on proper way of making the connections and helped answer irrigation line questions even after work hours. When the newly installed water meter gasket blew in April, we could have been faced with a 4 week drought while waiting for a replacement part… instead, Alex made a gasket out of a sheet of rubber he purchased at Ace hardware weeks before. His previous experience as a maintenance person taught him that the gaskets could be made from rubber much cheaper(and faster) than waiting for replacement gaskets. He proactively purchased the last sheet of rubber Ace had on the shelf and held it until he would need it. Instead of buying a $40 gasket and waiting a month, he used a piece of an $18 sheet of rubber to make one. He communicated with us before during and after. Alex is a great communicator, efficient and easy to work with. He’s prompt and dependable- the type of employee I would love in a small business. He thinks - he doesn’t just do a task." - Sue C.

 

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Leslie "Dawn" Miller-Sablan
Environmental Management
Solid Waste Facility Attendant

"She was very nice, going above and beyond in helping me unload my trash." - Kimi K.

 

"Dawn always helps me when I’m at the rubbish dump, and she’s always very nice to me and my dad. Excellent customer service." - Denise A-S.

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Steve Pause
Director 
Department of Public Works

"He gets things done. He’s accessible. He knowledgeable. He answers questions honestly. Got roads paved. Attends community meetings and listens. Cares about Kona side of this island. The most competent Director running public works ever."- Michele B.

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Spencer Park Employees
Steven Martin, Ray Reiger, Austin Salvador-Racoma
Parks and Recreation

"Immaculately clean facility. All days weekends included. Everything works showers toilets. Plenty Kiawe yet not a thorn on the ground! Grass is always green and cut. Trees trimmed and looks like they are expanding with new areas cleared. Coming from Oahu where it’s a mess this is such a wonderful place .  The recent rains cause so much damage yet just days later you couldn’t even tell. Even the beach was raked so we could use it." - Steve K.