The board overseeing construction of Oahu’s rail transit system has selected its new leader, as the financially challenged project continues to face future uncertainty.
Damien Kim will take over as the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s board chairman, after his colleagues voted for him to take that post during their Thursday meeting.
Kim will replace outgoing Chairwoman Colleen Hana- busa, who stepped down from the board last month. Oahu voters elected Tuesday to return Hanabusa to Congress.
Kim, business manager and financial secretary for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1186, has served as a Honolulu City Council appointee on the HART board since its 2011 inception.
His first priority as chairman, he said, will be to provide the state Legislature and City Council next year with “real numbers” for how much it will cost to complete the full 20-mile, 21-station rail line.
“Let’s learn from the past where we don’t make the same mistakes,” Kim said, “so whatever number we give them it will be enough to finish this project.”
He takes the over as chairman amid other leadership changes at the rail agency. Mike Formby recently resigned as HART’s acting executive director to serve as Hanabusa’s chief of staff. Meanwhile, Krishniah Murthy is slated to head HART as its interim executive director starting Dec. 5.
Under Kim’s IBEW Local 1186 leadership, the local union endorsed Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s general election opponent, Charles Djou. On Thursday Kim distinguished his role as union leader from that of rail leader, and said he would work with the mayor to get rail done.
It’s not yet clear how long Kim will serve as chairman. The HART board had been alternating every two years between City Council and mayoral appointees to serve as the chairman, but that process has been interrupted by various board resignations in the past year. Kim said he believes he’ll be chairman at least until July.
“Nothing is set in stone, as far as I believe,” Kim said of his tenure Thursday.
Terrence Lee will serve as the HART board vice chairman.
