Honolulu Mayor Announces New Head Of Neighborhood Commission Office

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Nicole Velasco will be the new head of Honolulu’s Neighborhood Commission Office.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced the cabinet appointment Monday morning, saying in a press release that the office is “very important to our community.”

If Velasco’s name seems familiar it’s because she was involved in a contentious race for the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2012 that included allegations of voter intimidation.

Velasco ran against then-Honolulu City Councilmember Romy Cachola, who some said was going door-to-door strong-arming voters into casting their ballots for him.

He, of course, denied this.

The City Council still needs to approve Velasco’s appointment to the Neighborhood Commission Office. If she takes over as the agency’s executive secretary she will help administer Oahu’s 33 neighborhood boards.

Velasco currently works in government affairs at Ashford and Wriston, LLP. She has also worked at the State Auditor’s Office and as a researcher for the House of Representatives.

—Nick Grube

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