MEDIA RELEASE

Hawai‘i County Mayor Billy Kenoi travels to Washington, D.C. today to join more than 280 of the nation’s mayors as well as congressional leaders and members of President Obama’s cabinet at the U.S. Conference of Mayors 82nd Winter Meeting.

Mayor Kenoi, who is chair of the Hawai‘i Conference of Mayors, will attend the meeting with Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, and Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho. Mayor Kenoi is also a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors National Advisory Board.

The mayors will join President Barack Obama and members of his cabinet at the White House for a discussion of issues that affect municipalities, including trade, technology, climate change and affordable health care.

Participants at the conference will include U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is designed to strengthen federal-city relationships, and promote effective national urban and suburban policy.

Managing Director Wally Lau will be acting mayor until Mayor Kenoi returns.