James Larson Email & Phone Number

Working for the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service Western Region Office Child and Adult Care Food Program Team.

Honolulu

Community Liaison and Policy Analyst to Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, Vice-Chair of the Honolulu City Council. Manage team of Legislative Aides, tracking constituent concerns and documenting City actions, and established reputation as a strategic leader by fostering an efficient collaborative working environment. Established response protocols that eliminated redundancies for generating routine documents.Draft, edit, and distribute speeches, testimony, press releases, and monthly newsletters relating to community concerns and City Council legislation.Led improvements to the City & County of Honolulu’s eForms Request for Investigation and Service Report. Implemented project management tools and tracking features, streamlined anonymous complaint process, improved document management, and greater efficiency in departmental responses. Developed and executed training modules to staff with new processes and functionality.Developed policy expertise on local issues, including Operational and Capital Improvement Budgeting, Emergency Operations Planning, Housing and Homeless concerns, Emerging Technology Regulation, and County Permitting Processes.Attend the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Statewide COVID-19 Teleconference briefings on behalf of the Honolulu City Council.Organize community meetings, facilitate and planned City Council fundraising events, create promotional materials to foster constituent engagement, and assisted successful re-election effort.Managed student and research assistant internship program for the office; successful graduates have found employment within local and international governments. Initiated and assisted City Administration in obtaining dredging permitting from Army Corps of Engineers to address flooding concerns in streams within District V, and conducted negotiations between the Department of Facility Maintenance and private landowners to gain access for heavy equipment and material removal from various City streams.

Honolulu, Hi

Legislative Aide to Councilmember Ann Kobayashi, Chair of the Budget Committee (2013-2017) & Chair of the Parks, Recreation, and Customer Services Committee (2017-2018) for the Honolulu City Council. Primary duties focus on managing and responding to resident concerns utilizing eForms based Investigation and Service Reporting; drafting, editing, and distributing of speeches, honorary certificates, and press releases; generating monthly newsletters providing insight regarding ongoing legislation and other promotional materials. Maintain ongoing constituent satisfaction by documenting, managing, and responding to resident concerns, inquires, and complaints, and providing clear and concise explanation of complex and/or confusing City policies and procedures.Prepare and present regular and one-time reports and updates to the Councilmember with necessary information regarding issues within the Council district and actions taken by City Departments in response to constituent concerns.Serve as liaison for the Councilmember at community engagements and seven monthly Neighborhood Board Meetings Larger scope of work includes in-person meetings with members of the public, private organizations, and community leaders; site visits to document community issues and concerns; and representing the Councilmember at community engagements and monthly Neighborhood Board Meetings. Represented the Councilmember in the State of Hawaii’s Homeless Action Working Group, which directly resulted in the creation of the Mayor’s Office of Housing, within the Managing Director’s office. Cultivated strong working relationships with community leaders and State Representatives to efficiently address issues that cross jurisdictional borders, such as homelessness and infrastructure maintenance.

Honolulu, Hi

Drafted white paper on decommissioning wind turbines. Developed and managed Renewable Energy Branch legislative bill-tracking system, which included tracking the progress of bills assigned to the Branch to ensure timely response. Established on-going consulting role, providing assistance with legislative analysis and departmental testimony to the State Legislature.

Processed constituent concerns and assigned appropriate staff to respond. Ensured office processes met the needs of the Council and regularly coordinated with staff to maintain compliance with procedures. Scheduled staff and public meetings for the Council.Coordinated staff assignments, conducted periodic review of assigned tasks, and compiled staff reports into a daily digest that included information requested by the Council, documents for review, and other relevant materials.Represented the Council at public events, legislative briefings, and community engagements.

Provided tutoring intended to enhance student success rate at standardized tests offered during evaluation by private education institutions.

Completed Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certification. Led SCUBA tours to premier diving locations on Oahu. Created individualized training program to operate at The Kahala Resort and Spa and market company services to untapped clientele. Provided customer service and sales at Kailua storefront.

Hawaii State Capitol

Served the Chair of the House Committee on Finance, Representative Marcus Oshiro. Attended public hearings, conference meetings and reviewed committee reports. Responsible for writing bill summaries and briefing legislators on committee hearings and potential fiscal impacts on the State budget.

Oversaw all aspects of company operations from 2003 - 2008. Certified over 400 divers. Led basic, advanced, and rescue SCUBA training, with a spotless safety record. Organized, promoted, and led dive travel in the U.S. and Caribbean. Responsible for marketing, personnel, inventory, and accounting.