(BIVN) – A new Military and Community Relations Office has been established the Hawaiʻi Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, or DBEDT, and the executive leadership for the office has been named. 

Laurie Moore and John Greene – the executive director and deputy director, respectively – will help the new office to “focus on effective collaboration and transparency between the State of Hawaii, county governments, the community and the U.S. Department of Defense”.

DBEDT notes that the funding of the office is made possible by a $3.2 million dollar grant from the DoD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, awarded to DBEDT in October 2023.

The office comes into existence at a time when the State is contending with various military-related issues, such as the environmental concerns at Red Hill on Oʻahu, or future land leases to military bases like the Pōhakuloa Training Area on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

A news release details the new executive hires, which were the result of a DBEDT search and interview process:

A dedicated and accomplished leader, Moore brings a wealth of experience to the executive director position. With a proven track record of impactful community engagement and supporting military families, she has been able to foster dynamic partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

Moore most recently served as Armed Services YMCA Hawaii Executive Director, where she led Hawaii’s oldest nonprofit organization serving military members and their dependents at 13 different sites on O‘ahu. Moore has also served as director of the Palmyra Program for The Nature Conservancy and director of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund for the USS Arizona Memorial.

Greene has been serving as the Defense Industry Specialist within the DBEDT Business Development and Support Division where he established the Hawaii Defense Alliance, a collaboration among government, industry, community resource partners, and DoD representatives focused on increasing local business participation in the defense sector of Hawaii’s economy.

Greene has previously served as the director of the Hawaii Procurement Technical Assistance Center and continues to serve as a lieutenant commander with the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Moore and Greene will begin serving in their new positions on April 1, 2024. The Military and Community Relations Office will be administratively attached to DBEDT.

“Executive Director Moore and Deputy Director Greene bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the newly established Military and Community Relations Office, which will serve as the conduit with communities, military families and properties throughout the state,” said DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka. “We are confident that Laurie and John will foster partnerships between the State of Hawaii, county governments, community partners and DoD that will enrich our local communities, while addressing joint issues that impact the state’s economy, infrastructure, and natural resources.”