Alan Arakawa

Who is Alan Arakawa?

Alan M. Arakawa is an American politician who is currently the Mayor of the County of Maui in Hawaii. He previously served as Maui mayor from 2002 to 2006., Arakawa graduated from Maui High School and attended the University of Hawai'i at Manoa as a business major. He then entered civil service in 1984 as a wastewater plant worker for Maui County. He rose to the post of supervisor in the wastewater division of the Department of Public Works and he was both a United Public Workers Chief Steward and a Hawai'i Government Employees Association Union Representative.

In 1994, Arakawa first ran for office to become a member of Maui's county council. He won and was subsequently re-elected in 1996 and 2000. He served as Chair of the Planning, Parks and Land Use committees during his tenure. Arakawa also was one of the members that spearheaded a movement to create nonpartisan elections for Maui County government seats. In November 2002, Arakawa was elected in a nonpartisan race to become county mayor.

Arakawa is married to Ann Arakawa, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Maui Community College. They both are parents of two daughters, Jan and Jodi.