ESTHER KIA‘ĀINA

District III Councilmember | Council Floor Leader

ʻĀhuimanu, Heʻeia, Haʻikū, Kāneʻohe, Maunawili, Kailua, Olomana, Enchanted Lake and Waimānalo

Current Term:
2025-2029

Serving Since:
January 2, 2021

Committees:
Zoning & Planning, Chair
Public Safety & Economy, Vice-Chair
Budget
Executive Management
International & Legal Affairs

Subscribe to eNewsletter

Esther Kia`āina proudly represents District III, the Windward side of O‘ahu, where she resides in Kailua. She credits her family, her cosmopolitan upbringing and over 30 years of work experience in Washington, D.C., Hawai’i, and the Pacific Islands region, as providing her with a strong background to help diverse communities and fight for issues, while navigating government.

Esther served under President Barack Obama as Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she coordinated overall federal policy for the U.S. territories and financial assistance for the Freely Associated States of Micronesia. She previously served as the First Deputy for Hawai‘i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources, Chief Advocate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Land Asset Manager for the Kamehameha Schools.

She also had an extensive career on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., starting as a volunteer intern for Senator Daniel Inouye after college and later serving as Legislative Assistant for Senator Daniel Akaka, Chief of Staff/Legislative Director for Guam Congressman Robert Underwood, and Chief of Staff for Congressman Ed Case.

Esther is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools, University of Southern California, and George Washington University Law School. She also attended Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.