Sen. Troy Hashimoto

I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Fourth of July weekend as we celebrated 250 years of our nation! 🇺🇸

I had the pleasure of spending part of my weekend at the Makawao Stampede Rodeo, where we also celebrated the 110th anniversary of Kaonoulu Ranch. From watching the bull bash to taking in the incredible rodeo competition, it was great fun and truly a community event that should not be missed.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to Wendy Peterson and all of the dedicated volunteers for their hard work in keeping this beautiful Maui tradition alive.

It was an honor to join Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee to celebrate her remarkable career and unwavering dedication to Maui Nui. Chair Lee has given a lifetime of service to our community across two distinct chapters. After a long and distinguished early career in local government, she entered her initial retirement. However, she graciously answered the call to serve our community once again. Upon returning to the Maui County Council, she initially served as a member before being elected to lead as Chair.

In this most recent chapter of her public service, she provided a steady and experienced hand through some of the most unprecedented and challenging times in our county history. Her leadership in guiding our community through complex recovery efforts, navigating difficult budget discussions, and prioritizing vital housing initiatives has been truly invaluable.

As she prepares to officially retire at the end of this year, I want to express my gratitude for her enduring commitment to our community. Thank you, Chair Lee, for your lifetime of service and for always putting the people of Maui first.

I am incredibly grateful to be named a Chamber Champion of the Year at the 2026 Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Impact Gala presented by United.

Small businesses are the true foundation of our communities. On Maui, they are the local shops we interact with daily, the sponsors of our youth programs, and the economic engines that keep our island moving forward. Receiving this award from an organization that works so hard to uplift these entrepreneurs is deeply humbling.

I want to extend a special shoutout and my sincere appreciation to Chamber CEO Sherry Menor. Her steadfast leadership and dedication to advocating for our business community are truly making a positive difference across our state.

It is also a privilege to celebrate the outstanding colleagues who were honored alongside me. A congratulations to Sen. Lorrain Inouye on her well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as Rep Adrian Tam (Chamber Champion of the Year), Rep Darius Kila (Blueprint Champion of the Year), Rep Linda Ichiyama (Woman Leader of the Year), and Rep Sean Quinlan (Small Business Advocate of the Year). Your dedication to creating a better business climate in Hawaiʻi is inspiring, and it is an honor to serve with you.

Thank you to the entire team at the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaiʻi for this recognition. I look forward to our continued work together to ensure our local businesses have the support they need to thrive.

A critical step forward for our local producers and our state’s economic resilience.

Today, I had the privilege of attending the Food and Product Innovation Network (FPIN) Memorandum of Agreement signing ceremony at the Hawaiʻi Made Conference. This agreement is highly significant because it establishes a collaborative framework across our state departments, hotels, businesses, and agencies to provide local producers with technical expertise, advanced equipment, toll processing services, and vital commercialization support.

I want to explicitly acknowledge Senator Donovan Dela Cruz for his dedicated work and vision in bringing this coordinated network to fruition.

We are proud of the important work we are currently doing on Maui at the University of Hawai'i Maui College Food Innovation Center to support local food entrepreneurs. Building upon that strong foundation, our ongoing efforts are to identify the next step facility on Maui that will provide the necessary infrastructure to help our businesses securely scale their production and reach new regional and global markets.

By working together, we are expanding our food innovation capacity and strengthening the agricultural future of Hawaiʻi.

A beautiful evening of remembrance, culture, and community in Wailuku! 🌺

The summer obon season is a cherished tradition across our islands, and it was a great evening attending the Wailuku Shingon Mission bon dance. Seeing so many people gather together to honor their ancestors and actively support the church is a wonderful reminder of the strong community spirit we have here in Central Maui.

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to Reverend George Kitagawa, as well as to all the dedicated church members and volunteers. Coordinating an event that brings so many people together requires an immense amount of hard work and dedication. Your tireless efforts ensured a spectacular and meaningful night for everyone who attended.

Thank you to the Wailuku Shingon Mission for preserving this beautiful cultural tradition and hosting such an incredible event for our community. 🏮