Retired Navy captain takes helm of HI-EMA

Strategic planning will be a top focus for the new administrator of the beleaguered Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, who comes aboard as the agency works to shore up public confidence following January’s false missile alert.

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Thomas Travis, who took the reins Friday, said he’ll begin by examining the agency’s daily operations to ensure that “we are doing things correctly.” But he plans to prioritize longer-range thinking since it’s clear from his discussions with his boss, state Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Joe Logan, that “lack of strategic planning was a contributing cause of what happened Jan. 13.”

On that day, HI-EMA sent a text alert to most cellphones in the state, saying a missile attack was underway, adding, “This is not a drill.” The mistake wasn’t corrected for 38 minutes, causing widespread panic.

Thomas, 69, said filling vacant HI-EMA positions and setting high standards for transparency and accountability will be important to strengthening the agency’s relationship with the community and collaborative agencies.

“We are going to need a clear vision of where we are going in the future and what we need to do to improve,” he said.

At the time of the false alert, Maj. Gen. Vern Miyagi headed HI-EMA. His resignation from the position was announced Jan. 30. Miyagi and HI-EMA Executive Officer Toby Clairmont, who resigned Jan. 26, left the agency as part of the fallout following investigations into what caused the false alert.

The incident, which became an international news story, has been the subject of a Federal Communications Commission investigation, a Federal Emergency Management Agency review and a state inquiry and action plan.

Maj. Gen. Arthur J. Logan, director of emergency management, said in a statement that Travis was selected because he has proved himself as a strategic thinker and strong leader throughout his career, both military and civilian. Ten people applied for the at-will non-civil service position, which was advertised as having a $128,268 annual salary.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Travis most recently resided in Tucson, Ariz., but lived in Kapoho, Hawaii, from 2011 to 2016. He also served on various submarines at Pearl Harbor from 1977 to 1991. After retiring from the Navy, Travis worked as an assistant director at the Joint Advanced Warfighting Program, Institute for Defense Analyses and most recently as studies director, Joint Center for Operational Analysis, U.S. Joint Staff. He was contributing author and senior editor of a study on the U.S. government response to Hurricane Katrina.