D3 - Esther Kiaʻāina — Honolulu City Council

Esther Kia‘āina

District 3 Councilmember
Council Vice Chair
Current Term: 2021-2025

ʻĀhuimanu, Heʻeia, Haʻikū, Kāneʻohe, Maunawili, Kailua, Olomana, Enchanted Lake and Waimānalo

Esther Kia`āina proudly represents District III, the Windward side of O‘ahu, where she resides in Kailua.

She credits her family, her cosmopolitan upbringing and over 30 years of work experience in Washington, D.C., Hawai’i, and the Pacific Islands region, as providing her with a strong background to help diverse communities and fight for issues, while navigating government. She is passionate about racial and gender equity, the protection of land and natural resources, and indigenous rights.

Esther served under President Barack Obama as Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she coordinated overall federal policy for the U.S. territories and financial assistance for the Freely Associated States of Micronesia. She previously served as the First Deputy for Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources, Chief Advocate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Land Asset Manager for the Kamehameha Schools.

She also had an extensive career on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., starting as a volunteer intern for Senator Daniel Inouye after college and later serving as Legislative Assistant for Senator Daniel Akaka, Chief of Staff/Legislative Director for Guam Congressman Robert Underwood, and Chief of Staff for Congressman Ed Case.

Her accomplishments in her nearly two decades on Capitol Hill include P.L. 103-150, the Apology Resolution, P.L. 104-42, the Hawaiian Homelands Recovery Act, and P.L 106-504, the Guam Land Return Act – all measures addressing liability or land issues.

Esther is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools, University of Southern California, and George Washington University Law School. She also attended the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Newsletters

Current Term

2021 – 2025
Serving Since
2021
Committees

Planning and the Economy, Chair
Housing, Sustainability and Health, Vice Chair
Budget
Zoning
Transportation
Executive Matters and Legal Affairs
Executive Management