Hawaii County is in search of a new Human Resources director after the resignation of Bill Brilhante, who leaves his post Thursday to work in his family’s business.
Brilhante took over a department in shambles in 2018 after the prior director quit following investigative stories in the newspaper and a critical audit alleging favoritism in county hiring practices.
The 2017 audit report, by former Auditor Bonnie Nims, found numerous problems in how the county selected applicants to be interviewed and how candidates were assessed. Employees who were concerned about the processes kept quiet because they feared retaliation, the audit said.
A follow-up audit was scheduled for the 2020-21 fiscal year, but has not yet been released. Nims resigned in October, and County Auditor Tyler Benner, former performance auditor for the city of Spokane, Washington, is scheduled to take over Thursday.
The newspaper stories detailed the use by former HR management of the acronym “POI,” apparently signifying a “person of interest” who should be given a favorable rating for a position.
Brilhante had pledged to restore trust to the department.
“I think the board is well positioned to select a replacement who will be very qualified and will do a great service to the county,” he told the Merit Appeals Board on Monday.
Deputy Director Waylen Leopoldino will serve as acting director while the board conducts a search for a permanent director. The position pays $128,628 annually in a department of about 50 employees.
Board Chairwoman Gabriella Cabanas said she expected Leopoldino to “carry on and do the best work he can to uphold the merit system … until the board decides at a later time on how we will move forward with filling the position on a permanent basis.“
Leopoldino described Brilhante as a “great mentor.”
“We have a great team,” Leopoldino said. “I look forward to leading that team until a permanent director is named.”
