Today we’re kicking off a three-day series on Honolulu’s leading mayoral candidates by Adrienne LaFrance.

We’re also happy to announce that Adrienne is joining the Civil Beat team as a reporter-host.

Adrienne will be responsible for the Honolulu beat. That means she’ll be covering the mayoral election, Honolulu government and the forces that are shaping the future of Oahu.

Some of you may know Adrienne from her days as a weekend news anchor and regular contributor to Hawaii Public Radio, Hawaii’s National Public Radio affiliate, and from her time as managing editor of Honolulu Weekly. Most recently, she’s been working as a freelance reporter and writer for several local publications. She also teaches a journalism class at the University of Hawaii and is active with the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter.

Before moving to Hawaii, Adrienne worked as a producer and news writer at WBUR, Boston’s NPR affiliate. She earned her B.A. in journalism from Michigan State University and her M.S. in journalism from Boston University.

Some things most folks don’t know about Adrienne: She lives in the Diamond Head area and shares a Chinatown studio workspace with a group of local artists. She is an enthusiastic Philadelphia Eagles fan, enjoys traveling, visiting used bookshops, taking Hawaiian and Italian language classes and watching old Twilight Zone episodes.