MEDIA RELEASE

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has announced the appointment of Ford Fuchigami as interim director of the state Department of Transportation.

The nomination is subject to state Senate confirmation.

Fuchigami is replacing Glenn Okimoto, who has served as DOT director since 2010. Okimoto is returning to the University of Hawaii (UH), where he formerly served as the university budget director.

His new position will be administrative affairs program officer to address the substantial capital improvement and repair and maintenance needs of the UH Manoa campus.

Okimotot will report to the vice chancellor of administration, finance and operations.

“Glenn is an amazing leader and has done great work moving the DOT in the right direction,” Abercrombie said. “He has laid a solid foundation for the department to build upon and improve our airports, harbors and highways.”

Okimoto has been instrumental in moving projects forward across all divisions. This year has been a record-breaking year for DOT with more than $869 million in projects out to bid and approximately $500 million in construction.

Fuchigami was appointed DOT deputy director in December 2010 to oversee the state’s 15 commercial and general aviation airports. Tasked with the development and improvement of a safe, attractive and efficient airports system, he has played an important role in bringing new airlines and new direct routes to Hawaii.

“Ford has done a tremendous job over the past three years as chief executive of the state’s airports system by collaborating with major stakeholders and partners,” Abercrombie said. “This dedication, along with his experience and skills, will go a long way in improving all spectrums of Hawaii’s transportation network.”

Working for more than three decades in the hospitality industry, Fuchigami has extensive experience in business development, employee relations and operations management.

Fuchigami is a graduate of Damien Memorial High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UH Manoa.