Gov. Neil Abercrombie has appointed Serafin P. “Jun” Colmenares Jr. to continue serving as the executive director for the Office of Language Access.

Abercrombie said Colmenares has been an advocate for the community to connect government and immigrants. He said Colmenares will help ensure everyone has equal access to state services and programs.

Colmenares has led the agency since 2007. He previously worked as an evaluation analyst for the state’s Executive Office on Aging. He also has experience with the Hawaii Community Foundation, Hawaii Medical Services Association, Lanakila Easy Access Project, Catholic Charities Immigrant Services and Bilingual Access Line of Helping Hands Hawaii.

The Office of Language Access coordinates statewide language access requirements, monitors state agencies for compliance with the law and investigates complaints of language access violations.