Kia’aina to visit CNMI this month

Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Areas, Esther Puekela Kia’aina, will be visiting the CNMI this month, according to Gov. Eloy S. Inos’ acting press secretary, Ivan Blanco.

While on island Kia’aina will make a courtesy call on Inos and meet with other local officials. She is also expected to make a round of site visits, especially projects that are funded by the Office of Insular Affairs.

Before her appointment and subsequent confirmation as OIA assistant secretary, Kia’aina served as First Deputy Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources for Hawaii under Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

Kia’aina also worked under Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye as well as Inouye’s Hawaii counterpart, Sen. Daniel K. Akaka. She followed this with time as chief of staff and Legislative Director for Delegate Robert A. Underwood (D-Guam) from 1999 to 2003 and as chief of staff for Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) from 2003 to 2007.

Kia’aina received a B.A. from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.