Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda announced the completion of his cabinet with the appointments of Renee Schoen as Corporation Counsel and J Yoshimoto as Assistant Corporation Counsel.

 

Schoen, who was recently a Third Circuit Court Judge, will lead the Office of Corporation Counsel starting Jan. 16. Current Corporation Counsel Elizabeth Strance will stay on until Dec. 31, with Yoshimoto serving as acting Corporation Counsel for the first two weeks of January.

 As the head of Corporation Counsel, Schoen’s appointment is subject to County Council review and approval.

A lawyer for more than 30 years, she was previously Assistant Corporation Counsel for the County from 2017-2021 and Deputy Corporation Counsel from 2007-2016. Additionally, Schoen was a private practice attorney and Deputy Attorney General for the state of Hawaiʻi

J Yoshimoto has been practicing law for more than 30 years in Hawai’i. He joined the Office of Corporation Counsel as a Deputy in 2014 and was appointed as Assistant Corporation Counsel in 2021. Yoshimoto served on the County Council from 2006-2014 and was chairman twice. Prior to the County, he was in private practice and served as a Deputy Attorney General for the state of Hawaiʻi.

 

The Office of Corporation Counsel is the legal advisor and legal representative of all County agencies, the County Council, and all officers and employees in matters related to their official powers and duties.

 

 

Photo credit: Hawai’i County Mayor’s Office