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

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(09:13 AM) 1. Interview Candidate Andrew Kouchi, Liquor Control Investigator III, for the position of Director of the Department of Liquor Control Okabe: Are you guys ready to proceed with the questions, or do you guys need a little bit more time? Okay, so I'd like to call a recess so that you can review that, and then we'll call Mr. Kouchi in. RECESSED AT 9:15 A.M. RECONVENED AT 9: 27 A.M. Okabe: Unless otherwise noted on the agenda, today's interviews and hiring process are anticipated to be conducted in open session. To the candidate, if any of your responses to an interview question will include information you consider private and wish to keep confidential, please inform us of the general nature of that privacy concern before answering the interview question. The Commission will then determine whether the executive session may be appropriate. Mr. Kouchi, we're going to start the interview process, I'll read off the questions and then give you time to answer it. First of all, No. 1, what motivated you to apply for the County of Hawaii, Director of the Department of Liquor Control position? Kouchi: Thank you, well first I'd like to say good morning, Mr. Chair and Commissioners, thank you for the opportunity to present my qualifications to be the next Director of the Department of Liquor Control. To answer your question on what motivated me to apply for the County of Hawaii, Director of the Department of Liquor Control, I was motivated to apply because I care deeply about the role the Department of Liquor Control plays in our community's health and economic opportunities for the island. After 11 years in this Department, I've seen how our policies and enforcement decisions directly impact the community, economy, and the business liquor industry as a whole, and also our decisions also affect public trust. The Director's role to me it's not just enforcement, it's assuring that the law is applied fairly, consistently, and with an understanding of the broader consequences any decision can have. From a leadership perspective, I'm motivated by the opportunity to balance and support our staff current and future. As a supervisor currently, I'm focused on mentoring, training, and accountability, and I'll continue that approach by aligning the staff's efforts with the Commission's goals and the County's priorities. From a policy standpoint, I'm motivated to help shape and implement legally sound practical procedures that address emerging challenges that are currently facing our liquor industry as a whole. I've already contributed to the policies and procedures currently in use, and I would like to build on that experience. MINUTES - LIQUOR COMMISSION MEETING SPECIAL MEETING - MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2025 - HILO PAGE 6 OF 35