New team to lead Honolulu customer services
The new public face of the city’s Department of Customer Services is making answering phones and improving access to appointments for driver’s licenses, state identification cards, and motor vehicle transactions among her immediate priorities.
Nola Miyasaki, who was officially handed the reins of the 300-employee department on Feb. 17 following her confirmation as a member of Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s cabinet, has been accelerating the speed at which driver’s licensing centers and satellite city halls tackle these two key challenges.
Miyasaki, who previously headed the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation and more recently served as the chief development officer for the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific Foundation, has been entrusted with both the immediate priorities and long-term direction of the department.
Miyasaki, a lawyer by training with extensive business experience, has already organized efforts around meeting the needs of more than 2,900 daily phone inquiries about driver’s licenses and motor vehicles, as well as handling soaring demand to make appointments for those services on the city’s AlohaQ reservation system.
“Nola is the exact combination of seasoned business executive and savvy leader, with a heart of gold, that we were looking for to provide the energy, focus and momentum necessary for the Department of Customer Services to achieve its full potential,” Blangiardi said.
To assist her, Miyasaki has selected as deputy director, Kim Hashiro, who is best known in city government and academia for her expertise in budget administration and human resources.
Hashiro, who spent the past three-plus years running the University of Hawaii’s system human resources office, is also a familiar figure in city government from her service at the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services, Department of Enterprise Services and Honolulu Board of Water Supply.
“Kim will work closely with the division heads to ensure public accountability, efficiency in operations and the delivery of excellent customer service,” Miyasaki said.
