HGEA Executive Director Russell Okata Retires and Randy Perreira Named HGEA's Fifth Executive Director
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Russell Okata, HGEA executive director officially retires on
Dec. 31, 2007, after a 38-year career with HGEA. He has served
as executive director since 1981. Okata will be succeeded by
Randy Perreira, who has been HGEAs deputy executive director,
and will become HGEAs fifth executive director on Jan. 1, 2008.
Okata is credited for serving as a strong advocate for HGEAs
diverse membership, which includes a full spectrum of state and
county government employees blue-collar supervisors,
white-collar employees, white-collar supervisors, educational
officers, University of Hawaii administrative, professional and
technical employees, registered professional nurses, and
professional and scientific employees.
Under his leadership, Okata introduced the concept of a
full-service union to expand services to members. HGEA offers
its members recreation and social activities, discount
programs, education and training services, scholarships for
dependents and much more. HGEA was also among the first unions
in the nation to offer internet and email service for its
membership.
Okata also leaves a legacy of strong collective bargaining
representation and active political involvement, which has been
one of the hallmarks of HGEA.
Our members have much better compensation and benefit packages
because of their willingness to stick together and move forward
with one voice. And that spirit of cooperation is something I
will always treasure, even as I retire from HGEA, Okata
said.
There will certainly be new challenges in the years ahead, but
Randy has proven that he is able to tackle whatever comes our
way. It will be a new era for HGEA with Randy and his team, and
Im encouraging all of the members to continue to move forward
together, Okata added.
Perreira served as HGEAs deputy executive director since 1999.
He has been involved with key responsibilities that prepared
him to lead the organization. As deputy executive director, he
was responsible for collective bargaining and contract
enforcement statewide for seven bargaining units. He also
oversaw statewide field services staff that provided direct
member representation. Perreira was also responsible for
lobbying and coordinating action on legislative matters that
affect employee relations and collective bargaining.
Perreira has been with HGEA for more than 22 years. He started
with the union in 1983, and was a union agent for two years. He
left Hawaii and lived on the mainland for a brief period, and
returned to HGEA as a union agent in 1986. Perreira was
promoted to field services officer in 1990.
HGEA has always strived to be attentive to the needs of our
membership, Perreira said. In the near future, we will see more
of our members retire and we will begin to attract a new
generation of members many of whom do not have an understanding
of HGEAs role in shaping Hawaii over the years. We must be
responsive to these types of changes on the horizon and
demonstrate that HGEA is as relevant for this generation as it
has been for their parents and grandparents.
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