Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 11, 1 November 2010 — Kealoho appointed Deputy Prosecutor [ARTICLE]

Kealoho appointed Deputy Prosecutor

On Oct. 21, Katherine Puana Kealoha, the Director of the State Office of Environmental Quality Control since February 2008, was appointed Deputy Prosecutor by newly elected City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro. The wife of Louis Kealoha, Honolulu Chief of Poliee, Katherine is active in law enforcement events andprograms. She sits on the Board of Directors for Star of the Sea and the Kāhala Community Association. The Kealohas were featured in Ka Wai Ola in May, as Native Hawaiians at the top of their game. The appointment marks a return for her to the City Prosecutor's Department. She previously served

as the primary attorney litigating environmental cases for the Career Criminal Division and was instrumental in creating the Environmental Crimes Unit there. This specialized unit ensures puhlie safety by prosecuting violators for crimes against the community and environment, such as hazardous waste disposal, air and water pollution and other health-related issues. With experience in business, real estate, family, civil and criminal law Kealoha previously had her own private practice, at the Law Office of Katherine Puana Kealoha and Associates. Kealoha earned her bachelor's degree in political science and master's degree in criminal justice administration fromChaminade University, and her juris doctorate from the University of Hawai'i's William S. Richardson School of Law. Also appointed as deputies were Jon Riki Karamatsu, the State House Judiciary Chairman who recently lost his bid for Lieutenant Governor, and Dean Young, also a former prosecutor.