The State Senate today voted unanimously to advise and consent on Leonard Hoshijo as the director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Hoshijo’s prior experience includes serving as education and political director of the Hawai‘i Regional Council of Carpenters. He also worked for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union for 26 years as housing representative, organizer, international representative and international vice president. He also served as a director and officer for various low income rental housing nonprofit organizations, including the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Jack Hall Kona Memorial Housing Corporation, Waipahu Jack Hall Memorial Housing Corporation, ‘Ewa Housing Foundation, Kohala Union Housing Corporation, Ka‘u Housing Corporation, and Jack Hall Hawai‘i Housing Corporation.

Hoshijo has degrees from Antioch College in Ohio and the University of Hawai‘i.

“As deputy director for the last three years, Leonard Hoshijo has overseen some of the most critical and challenging areas of the labor department such as workers compensation, unemployment insurance, and the Workforce Development Council,” said Sen. Jill Tokuda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor. “This will definitely help in his new capacity as director of the department: the ability to dig deep into some of those areas and the ability to now look at trying to find solutions to those areas most in need.”