Project Management: Planning Department Staff and Contractors

Project Manager: Ron Whitmore (961-8137)

The Planning Department has assigned Ron Whitmore as the Ka`u CDP project manager responsible for overall project coordination and guidance.  Ron is a Planner V in the Long Range Planning division with responsibilities related to the General Plan, Community Development Plans, and Fair Share, among other projects.  He also supervises a Planner III responsible for Special Management Area permitting.

Ron has been working in domestic and international community development for 15 years and has project management and facilitation experience in the public, private, nonprofit, and higher education sectors.  After graduating from Dartmouth College, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer and trainer in West Central Africa.  As a graduate student at Michigan State University, Ron focused on sustainable agriculture, community engagement, and comprehensive development.  In the early 2000s, Ron was the founding executive director of a resident-driven community development corporation and since 2005 has consulted independently in the fields of community organizing, nonprofit capacity building, leadership development, and food systems.

Ron lives in Hilo with his wife Sasha, son Bodhi (8), and daughter Rani (6).  Sasha owns a birth services business, and Bodhi and Rani attend Ka Umeke Ka`eo Hawaiian Immersion Public Charter School in Keaukaha.

Ron manages contracts with a Community Planning Assistant (CPA) and the principal planning consultant.

Community Planning Assistant: Nalani Parlin (217-6893)

The CPA is a contractor that assists with all aspects of the planning process in coordination with other project team members, the Steering Committee, and other stakeholders including government agencies, community organizations, and residents.