Departments » Human Resources

Department of Human Resources Staff

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Director: Sommer J. Tokihiro                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

2024_Dir_Tokihiro_Sommer

Sommer currently serves as the Director of the Department of Human Resources.  She previously served as the HR Manager II for the Workers’ Compensation Division for the Department of Human Resources and worked in the private sector, most recently as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, before beginning her employment with the County of Hawai‘i in 2017.

Sommer was born in Eugene, Oregon, and moved to Hilo while in high school.  She is a graduate of Hilo High School.  She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, master’s degree from San Diego State University, and is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).


Deputy Director: Danny B. Patel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

2024_DepDir_Patel_Danny

Danny currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Department of Human Resources. He previously served as the Equal Opportunity Officer/ADA Coordinator in the Department of Human Resources, as a Deputy Corporation Counsel in the Office of the Corporation Counsel, and worked as an attorney in private practice in Hilo and Honolulu.

Danny was born and raised on Hawai‘i Island. He earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law.