Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
The money will fund the initiative for the next three fiscal years, which covers operating expenses, hiring an executive director, and pre-planning and designing the center.
The island’s Kekaha Landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2030, and the search for a new landfill site is underway. A proposed county bill would not allow new landfills within a six-mile radius of one that has accepted waste in the last 30 years.