Hawaii native Ernest Kanekoa, Jr. filed his nomination papers Tuesday to run for Kauai County Council. The businessman and member of the Kauai Police Commission is a 29-year resident of Kauai, and co-owner of The Kalaheo Steak and Ribs restaurant.
Hawaii native Ernest Kanekoa, Jr. filed his nomination papers Tuesday to run for Kauai County Council.
The businessman and member of the Kauai Police Commission is a 29-year resident of Kauai, and co-owner of The Kalaheo Steak and Ribs restaurant. He is a member of the Kauai Chamber of Commerce and the Filipino Chamber of Commerce.
“Kauai has a rich history that includes many wonderful people who have spent their lives making the island prosperous,” Kanekoa said in a press release. “Protecting our people, culture and the aina are paramount in the challenges that lie ahead. My goal is to put aloha at the forefront of how we bring people together to form fact-based, common sense solutions to build a better Kauai for all.”
Born in Maui, Kanekoa and his family moved to Oahu when he was a teenager. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and attended the University of Hawaii where he majored in hotel management.
Kanekoa’s associations include serving as past president of the Honolulu Zoo’s Board of Trustees; past president of the Kauai Security Association and past vice president of the Molokai Visitors Association Board.
Other community involvement includes his work with the American Society of Industrial Security, the Police Activity League and Kauai Security Society.
“It’s time to help the small businessman by streamlining our county procedures,” he said. “We need healthy oversight to safeguard the integrity of our agricultural heritage. We need to find a timely way to improve the safety of Kauai’s decaying infrastructure.”
