(BIVN) – An interim chair of the Hawaiʻi County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has been named.

Pono Kekela was elected as the new Interim Chair at trhe county Democrats’s first Quarterly meeting of 2024. Kekela previously served as Hawaiʻi Democratic Party State Central Committee (SCC) Representative of Senate District 2 (South Hilo, Puna, and portions of Kaʻū).

From the Hawaiʻi County Democrats:

Pono was born and raised in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. He graduated from Waiākea High School and went on to get his degree in business at Midland University in Nebraska. He moved back to Hilo in January of 2020 and now owns a marketing and communications company, Kekela Enterprises LLC, and is active in Hui ‘Ohana, the Hawai’i Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.

“Living abroad exposed me to many opportunities and experiences that shaped me and influenced my decision to kōkua in our communities. Since returning home I have witnessed the communities that I grew up in had not flourished or gained the support they have needed for years. I believe that serving as Chair of the Hawaiʻi County Democratic Party can be one part of achieving that objective,” Kekela said.

Kekela’s election coincides with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi in 1954 when a critical alliance was forming between the organizing labor forces at the time such as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the communities of workers in the emerging industries in Hawaiʻi. Advocacy of worker rights became the shared goal of organized labor and an emerging Democratic Party that sought protections and respect for workers, many of whom were immigrants with language barriers and needed a unifying voice.

For these reasons, Kekela has dubbed 2024 as “The Year of the Worker” to emphasize his focus on continuing to advocate for issues that are important to workers and their families while honoring 70 Years of Democratic values, hard work, and historic achievements.

Kekela strongly believes that the Democratic Party has a rich history and legacy of grassroots advocacy of equality and opportunity. “So that we don’t forget those values and principles,” he said, “ we need to celebrate the triumphs of our past generations so we can chart a path ahead that seeks a more meaningful and equitable life for all. We must remember to amplify the significance of our working families, our veterans, our keiki, and our kūpuna who need our support and our willingness to push for transparency and accountability from our elected leaders.”