HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige has appointed Naomi Kuwaye to the Public Utilities Commission. If confirmed, she will fill the seat currently held by PUC chairman James (Jay) Griffin, who announced he will step down at the end of his term, which expires on June 30, 2022.

Kuwaye is currently an attorney at Ashford & Wriston, LLP where she has practiced since 2012. She has worked in private practice since 1988. Previously, Kuwaye worked as a law clerk in Oregon and was also an intern and legislative aide for then Honolulu City Councilmember Donna Mercado Kim.

Kuwaye earned her juris doctorate/certificate in environmental and natural resources law from Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law and her BA in journalism and political science from the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa.

This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. If confirmed, Kuwaye’s six-year term will run from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2028.

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