I often look at organizations through the lens of athletics. Our governor is the general manager. The newly appointed or retained department heads are the system head coaches, and the voters are the owners.

But the key to any effective organization or team are the assistant coaches — in this case, the individuals under the department heads. They are the ones closer to the operations level who do not get enough credit when effective, or avoid accountability with the lack of transparency. Recently, it appears that the state head coaches are collaborating more regarding land use, climate change and natural resources.

The hope is that they also collaborate with the county mayors and planning and permitting departments, guided by the best interests of the owners, their communities and keiki.

Sam Kakazu

Kaneohe

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