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0111141101V41 COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAII
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Hawaii Island Economic Date FEB 0 2 2021
Development Board
Hawaii County Council
Governmental Operations,Relations and Economic Development Committee
02 February 2021
9:30 A.M.
In Consideration of Resolution 35-21
Aloha Committee Chair Kimball,Vice Chair Kierkiewicz and Honorable Committee Members,
I speak today as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer on behalf of the Hawaii Island
Economic Development Board (HIEDB) a private member-based 501(c)3 organization
incorporated in 1984.Our membership of broad socio-economic representatives is committed to
provide and promote support and expertise for balanced growth in Hawai'i County in partnership
with Federal, State, County, and private sector resources to ensure a thriving, resilient
community, and economic development.
It is also my privilege to speak as Secretary/Director on behalf of the Economic Development
Alliance of Hawaii (EDAH), a 501(c)(3) Hawaii Corporation. Incorporated in 1998, EDAH
was established to support economic development and diversification across the
Hawaiian Islands.
During the COVID-19 crisis,we have been reminded that amid system shock and adapting,while
tempting to think about and seek familiarity; it is important that we focus on the way things are
at present and determine how best to adapt, keep moving forward and work towards recovery.
With this focus in mind, EDAH collaborated with Omar Sultan who conceived of the Aloha
Connects Innovation (ACI) program to develop and deploy the program to assist workers
displaced by COVID to secure employment during the last quarter of 2020 and provide immediate
assistance through a paycheck and benefits, as well as on-the-job and specialized training as
needed. Simultaneously, participants were afforded the opportunity to secure new skills,
experience,and networks leading to consideration and the prospect of transitioning to a different
career path in more resilient innovation sectors.Specific to Hawaii Island the ACI resulted in over
seventy job placements with thirty-four host companies,and several of the employees have been
retained by the companies after the program ended in December.Statewide 433 placements in
311 unique positions were made with 143 host companies.
As Resolution 35-21 offers a similar opportunity to provide job opportunities and career training,
both Hawaii Island Economic Development Board and Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii
support this resolution and seek the opportunity to collaborate with the County of Hawaii and
others as we navigate through and out of the pandemic,economic, and social challenges we face.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jacqui Hoover
Phone: (808) 935-2180 Fax: (808)443-0873
Mail: 67-1185 Mamalahoa Hwy, Unit D104#353, Kamuela, HI 96743U'1�1
E-mail: hiedb@hiedb.org Website: www.hiedb.org Comm. No.
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Ref. Date FEB 2 2021