Gov. Neil Abercrombie today named local attorney Lorraine Akiba to replace John Cole on the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission when his term as commissioner ends June 30.

Akiba is a partner at McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP, where she heads the firm’s Environmental Practice Group.

From 1995 to 2000 Akiba served as state Director of Labor and Industrial Relations. She also is a former chairperson of the State of Hawaii Environmental Council and the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

Her legal background includes practice in commercial and real estate/business litigation, healthcare law, environmental and natural resources law, construction litigation, and government relations.

Akiba has served on a number of legal organizations including the Hawaii State Bar Association, Hawaii Women Lawyers Foundation, National Conference of Women’s Bar Association, and Environmental Law Institute.

Akiba holds a Juris Doctor from Hastings College of the Law; and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from University of California, Berkeley.