2025-12-15 Liquor Commission Minutes Hilo (Special Meeting)

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Employee empowerment supported by accountability is also essential, employees should be trusted to exercise judgement with a clear policy framework and given training and the resources needed to succeed in any position they hold. This encourages initiative, innovation, and maintains clear consistency and compliance. And finally, one of the most important things would be recognition and professional development. Recognition and professional development are critical to sustaining motivation. Acknowledging performance, investing in training, and then mentorship reinforce professionalism, and demonstrates that leadership values its employees. And this approach is effective because it aligns individual performance with organizational goals in our current enforcement environment. Okabe: No. 8, tell me about a time when a team you were on got stalled and did not function effectively? Kouchi: Well, earlier in my supervisory role, I was leading a team that was conducting a series of compliance checks into underage sales of alcohol to minors. And this involved myself, and multiple teams, and it was done with a few grant -funded college kids from `O`ahu. Our team began to stall because there was unclear designation of roles, overlapping responsibilities, and inconsistent communication with us, my team and the other teams. There was a incognitos mitigation between my team internally, and other teams that were conducting these compliance checks as well. And then to address that, I focused on restoring structure and accountability, designating clear roles and clarifying them on what the expectations were from each person, and improving communication by holding briefings before we enter each licensee to conduct their compliance check. Just to open a dialogue and to hear any concerns, discuss what went right and what went wrong with each compliance check that we did. And then allow team members to conduct, raise any concerns or suggest any solutions to any problems that we might face. And then, this allowed my team and the other teams to regain momentum and our communication improved, and the best investigations we're done thoroughly and legally within the required timeframe that we had. This process also strengthened the trust between us and the other students that were required by the grant and also strengthens the accountability for each team. Okabe: No. 9, as Director of the Department of Liquor Control, it would be important to stay current in changes in government oversight, the industry and the marketplace. What actions would you take to stay informed and involved, and what role does the Commission have in the scheme of things? Kouchi: I would stay current on law and policy by closely monitoring all the related activities, any administrative changes coming from the Commission or from our County government, and also stay current with any statewide, country -wide, or county -wide trends. And then I'll also maintain clear communication with our legal counsel, other safety partners and businesses, our licensees, staff and other County agencies. would also maintain a strong relationship with the industry and community members. Throughout my career, I've trained licensees in liquor classes, I've spoken at a few statewide liquor conferences, and conducted ongoing education and compliance programs. Continuing that engagement allows the Department to understand any MINUTES - LIQUOR COMMISSION MEETING SPECIAL MEETING - MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2025 - HILO PAGE 10 OF 35