County clerk to address League of Women Voters April 5

Hawaii County Clerk Stewart Maeda will speak at the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Hawaii County annual meeting Saturday, April 5, in Waimea.

The public is invited to join LWV members for the talk at 11 a.m. at Saffron Grill at 65-1259 Kawaihae Road.

The membership’s annual business meeting will start at 10 a.m., with greetings and the annual report by co-presidents Margaret Drake and Donna Oba, election of incoming directors and officers, adoption of the budget and program for fiscal year 2014-15 and recognition of outgoing officers and directors.

Maeda’s talk will start at 11 a.m. Maeda, born in Hilo and a 1980 Waiakea High School graduate, was appointed county clerk in 2012. A graduate of San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, he returned in 1987 to Hilo to teach at Waiakea High School before pursuing a career as a social worker.

He served as a Child Protective Services social worker with the Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services, and as supervisor of the Sex Abuse Unit at Child Welfare Services.

After 18 years, he left the department to work as a family conference facilitator and mediator for EPIC Ohana Inc., where he worked until his appointment as county clerk.

Pat Nakamoto, elections office administrator, will accompany him and also be available to answer questions from the audience.

A $20 no-host buffet luncheon will follow Maeda’s talk. RSVP for the luncheon to Donna Oba at donnaoba@gmail.com or 884-5299.

Membership in the LWV is open to all citizens of voting age; non-citizens and citizens not yet of voting age can be associate members.

Annual dues for members are $45 per individual; dues for students and the second member in a household are $22.50. Dues may be mailed to The League of Women Voters of Hawaii County, P.O. Box 665, Hilo, HI 96721.

For more information about the league, visit www.lwv.org and http://www.lwv-hawaii.com/.