A retired U.S. Navy captain with Hawaii Island ties is the new administrator for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
Thomas Travis, who lived in Kapoho from 2011 through 2016, replaces interim Administrator Brigadier General Moses Kaoiwi Jr. He most recently lived in Arizona; today is his first day on the job.
“I am pleased and honored to accept the position of administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency,” Travis said in a written statement, “and grateful to Maj. Gen. Logan and Governor Ige for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to guiding the agency in building our capacity to respond to disasters and enhancing public trust. I also want to acknowledge the hard work of those who came before me in fostering an agency with great people and strong potential.”
Travis graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served on various submarines at Pearl Harbor from 1977 to 1991.
He’s also a former national security analyst and senior editor of foundational studies on Operation Iraqi Freedom and the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina.
Travis was selected from a pool of 10 candidates.