Donalyn Dela Cruz, Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s spokeswoman, will leave her post at the end of the month to direct communications at the state Department of Education.
Dela Cruz’s departure follows the resignation last month of James Boersema as the governor’s communications director and leaves the administration’s communications team in transition.
Blake Oshiro, Abercrombie’s deputy chief of staff, will oversee communications while the administration searches for a replacement to handle the governor’s media and messaging.
With Dela Cruz’s exit, Abercrombie’s original chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, communications director, deputy communications director and press secretary will have left the administration, an unusual degree of turnover in less than two years since the governor took office in December 2010.
"It’s a stressful job, by no means am I saying it’s easy, but it’s not necessarily anything to do with the governor," Oshiro said of work on the governor’s senior staff. "It really is a difficult position, being in the office, regardless of whoever is the governor."
Dela Cruz, a former television reporter, had served as spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and the Democratic Party of Hawaii and had long-standing working relationships with reporters who cover government and politics. Her title with Abercrombie was deputy director of communications, but she was the primary contact in the administration for the news media and often the administration’s public face.
"I am looking forward to serving the state in this new capacity," Dela Cruz said in a statement. "It has been a great honor to serve the governor and help implement his New Day plan. The governor’s commitment to making positive changes to education is clear and the collective investment by our leaders is unprecedented. In my new role, I will be able to focus on the education elements of his New Day plan, which include the goal of restoring public confidence in our schools."
Wendy Clerinx, Abercrombie’s policy director, has also announced her resignation, citing family reasons.
