Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie today nominated William Aila Jr., the Waianae harbormaster, as the director and chairman of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Abercrombie, making his first Cabinet appointments, also chose Richard Lim, co-founder of the merchant banking firm Sennet Capital, as the director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

He selected Jodie Maesaka-Hirata, the acting warden of the Waiawa Correctional Facility, as the director of the state Department of Public Safety.

He chose Alapaki Nahale-a, the executive director of the Hawaii Charter Schools Network, as his director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

The nominees are subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

Abercrombie made the announcements at a news conference in the lobby of the State Office Tower near the state Capitol.