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Nadine Nakamura
Nadine Kuniko Nakamura is an American politician serving as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from District 15, encompassing east and north Kaua`i, from Wailua to Haena. She won the seat after incumbent Democrat Derek Kawakami decided to run for a seat in the Kauai County Council.[1] Nakamura won re-election in 2020 against Republican candidate Steve Monas, 76.2% to 23.8%.[2] She won re-election in 2022 against Republican candidate Greg Bentley, 67.9% to 24%. [3] In 2024, she became Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to hold the role.[4] Early life and education
Nakamura was born in Honolulu, the youngest of four children of Hiroyoshi and Mabel Maeda. In 1979, Nakamura graduated from Radford High School in Honolulu. Nakamura then attended the University of Southern California (USC) where she obtained a Bachelor of Science, Public Affairs and Urban Planning in 1983. While at USC, Nakamura spent a semester in Washington D.C. where she worked as an intern at Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp. (now NeighborWorks America) which promotes reinvestment in communities by local financial institutions working cooperatively with residents and local government. She earned a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1987. Nakamura successfully ran for the Aliamanu/Salt Lake/Foster Village Neighborhood Board 18 in 1984. CareerState of Hawaiʻi House of RepresentativesIn 2016, Nadine Nakamura was elected to the State of Hawaiʻi House of Representatives for District 14.[5] She has served as Chair of the Committee on Housing and members of the Committees on Judiciary, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Economic Development, Tourism, and Finance. She currently serves as Majority Leader. State of Hawaiʻi, Kaua‘i CountyFrom 2013 to 2016, Nadine Nakamura was the Managing Director for the County of Kaua‘i under Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr.[6] In 2010 Nadine Nakamura was elected to the Kaua‘i County Council, where she served until 2013. Nakamura served as the Vice Chair of the council, Chair of the Planning Committee, and Vice Chair of the Finance and Economic Development Committee. Business experienceNadine Nakamura founded NKN Project Planning, a planning consulting firm in 1992. While at NKN Project Planning, she was responsible for notable community endeavors, some of which include:
Non-profit experience
From 1991 to 1992, Nakamura was a Project Coordinator with Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. where she helped to develop special needs affordable housing for the elderly and individuals with mental and developmental disabilities. From 1985 to 1987, Nakamura was a development coordinator with the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., which promotes reinvestment in urban, suburban and rural communities by local financial institutions working cooperatively with residents and local government. Other government experience
Nakamura was a planner with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Land Utilization (1989–1991) and a transportation planner with the Department of Transportation (1987–1989). Nakamura was a planner/staff researcher with the Hawai’i Community Development Authority (1984–1985), a public entity created by the Hawai‘i State Legislature to establish community development plans in community development districts; determine community development programs; and cooperate with private enterprise and federal, state, and county governments to bring community development plans to fruition. Community involvement
References
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