Good morning, Chair and Members of the Maui County Council,
I am providing written testimony in opposition of Resolution 26-39, which is written would approve the mayor's appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns. There are many aspects related to this appointment that are troublesome. The mayor's office is the entity that assembled the so-called panel of experts that conducted the interviews for the applicants. Given that the now-retired Director Tsuhako is one of the only people on Maui County that can truly be called an expert on matters related to homelessness in Maui County, I'd like to know the qualifications of those that participated in the interview process. I find it hard to believe that out of the 21 applicants that were interviewed, that this team came to the conclusion that not a single resident of the State had comparable qualifications. Waiving the residency requirements based on the arguments of the County's Corporation Counsel is also a concern, given the numerous challenges that have been mounted against their recent legal opinions. Did the interview panel consist of the same experts that the Mayor is relying on to advise him on how to address the sprawling and dangerous homeless encampments at the Old Maui High School and the Cut Mountain bypass? Two sites that are extremely fire prone and rapidly growing into lawless wastelands thanks to the tacit support of this administration. This is not the type of homeless management that the majority of voting residents of Maui County support. Brining in a mainland resident with zero local connections, little, if any, knowledge of our social service agencies, and for a tenure that could possibly last only 6-9 months is asinine. The administration is acting like they've already been reelected. Given all the turmoil of the past 3 years, that is not guaranteed by any means. I cannot support the mayor's decision to waste all this money brining in someone from the mainland, instead of the numerous talented local individuals that applied. Why is this individual relocating for a similar paycheck that they were receiving in California? The cost of living here is much higher, the housing market is extremely constricted, they've only been here on vacation a few times, and despite the statements in the press release, this individual has no understanding of local dynamics and sensitivities. Talking about Nisei heritage in one sentence and then pivoting to talking about mana'o in the next sentence is racial pandering and cringeworthy. Please councilmembers, look at all the negative comments related to this press release on Facebook and other social media sites. The only positive statements regarding this selection come from her friends and former colleagues, not a single resident of Hawaii. Look at the strong opposition of YOUR voting constituents. November will be here before you know it, and it is shaping up to be a very interesting election cycle. Please advise the mayor to revisit this decision and appoint a local applicant that won't take years to train up. A person that can jump into the role and be effective from day one. Approving this individual runs the risk of alienating an already overburdened workforce, thus creating more of the problems that they are supposedly trying to eliminate. I appreciate this opportunity to voice my opinion and thank you for your time.
As a member of the non-profit community of Maui County that receives generous funding from the County, I oppose the nomination of Margaret Willis to be Director of Human Concerns (Resolution 26-39). There has been so much collaboration, coordination and network building over the past 10+ years. We need continuity in leadership, relationships with trusted partners, a leader who knows us and will call us into action when things need to get done. Please don't make us start from scratch.
I am submitting testimony on Resolution 26-39. I have concerns that I sincerely hope the committee addresses before making an informed decision on Ms. Willis’s appointment.
As stated in Resolution 26-39, HRS §78-1 states that the one year residency requirement may be waived by the appointing authority when the appointive officer is: (1) Required to have highly specialized or scientific knowledge and training and a qualified applicant who is a resident for at least one year is not available to fill the position.
1) Why are residents of the State for at least one year who applied and were interviewed for this position not considered to be qualified applicants?
2) If residents of the State for at least one year applied and met the minimum qualifications for this position, then a) they are qualified applicants b) their consideration for this appointment is necessary, and c) the residency requirement cannot be waived for Ms. Willis’s appointment.
Please provide the public with transparent and honest conversations conducted in a public forum regarding these issues. Mahalo for your consideration and the opportunity to provide testimony.
I am writing to provide testimony in opposition to Resolution 26-39, which would approve the appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui.
While some may argue that an outside perspective can bring new ideas, a “fresh perspective” is not necessarily what our community needs. Local experience is NOT a limitation—it is a strength. A local leader who is already familiar with our local community, nonprofit partners, and systems will be better positioned to act quickly and effectively.
The Department of Human Concerns plays a critical role in addressing some of the most pressing issues facing our community – aside from homelessness, the department oversees operations in volunteer coordination for Maui County, social service coordination and programming for our kupuna, immigration services, early childhood resources for our keiki and grant funding for non-profits that support our vulnerable residents across Maui County.
Leadership of this department requires someone who possesses the local understanding of all the social, economic, and cultural dynamics that shape the vast and unique needs of our community members - from age keiki to kupuna. Not an individual with allegedly specialized knowledge that can serve ONLY ONE of the SEVEN divisions of the Department of Human Concerns.
I respectfully request that the Council encourage the selection of a qualified local candidate who understands our unique community needs of Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi.
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony and thank you for your continued service to our community.
Aloha Chair and Council Members. I listened to Mayor Bissen's State of the County address less than a week ago when he encouraged those of us who are considering leaving Maui to instead stay and continue to make our homes here, to raise our families here, to continue to call Maui our home. I believe the Mayor's campaign slogan was "Kama`aina prosperity". I hope that Mayor is able to explain how his hring of a mainlander without any ties to Maui, is aligned with his campaign promise to us of Kama`aina prosperity. Should I be worried about my parents continuing to receive their Meals on Wheels and other services from Human Concerns, or is Mayor going to create a "Department of Houselessness" to utilize the nominee's expertise?
I am pleased to offer my strong support for the hiring of Margaret Willis as the Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui. Margaret is an exceptional professional whose leadership, compassion, and collaborative approach make her uniquely qualified to serve in this important role.
During Margaret’s tenure with the City of Santa Monica, I had the opportunity to see firsthand her ability to work effectively across multiple disciplines and agencies. She consistently demonstrated an outstanding ability to build strong partnerships with city and county government entities, including the Police Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and a wide network of community-based service providers. Margaret understands that complex social challenges—particularly those involving vulnerable populations—require coordinated, thoughtful, and sustained collaboration. She excels in bringing diverse stakeholders together to work toward practical and compassionate solutions.
Margaret worked closely with the Santa Monica Police Department, particularly in support of our Homeless Liaison Program (HLP), which focuses on outreach and services for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Through that partnership, she helped strengthen the coordination between law enforcement and service providers, ensuring that individuals experiencing homelessness were connected with the resources and support they needed. Her approach balanced accountability with humanity, always recognizing the dignity of those being served while maintaining a focus on community safety and well-being.
What sets Margaret apart is not only her professional capability but also her character. She brings genuine empathy and compassion to her work, combined with an exceptional work ethic and a deep commitment to public service. She is thoughtful, solutions-oriented, and unwavering in her dedication to improving outcomes for individuals and families facing difficult circumstances.
I have every confidence that Margaret will bring the same level of professionalism, collaboration, and heart to the County of Maui. She has the experience, leadership, and integrity necessary to effectively guide the Department of Human Concerns and to work productively with government partners, law enforcement, and community organizations.
I strongly support her appointment and believe she will be an outstanding asset to Maui County.
I am submitting testimony on Resolution 26-39 regarding the appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns.
The resolution states that the residency requirement under HRS §78-1 has been waived because no qualified resident applicant allegedly possesses the specialized knowledge needed to address issues related to unsheltered communities. Given the many professionals across Maui County who have spent years working in housing programs, senior services, community outreach, and other services for vulnerable populations, it is reasonable to ask whether the recruitment process fully considered the depth of local experience that already exists within our community.
The Department of Human Concerns oversees a wide range of programs beyond homelessness, including services for our kūpuna through the Office on Aging and Kaunoa Senior Services, early childhood programs, immigrant services, and many community partnerships that support residents throughout Maui County. Leading this department requires not only professional expertise, but also a strong understanding of our local communities and the relationships that support these programs.
The Administration has often spoken about the value “Mālama i ke kahi i ke kahi,” the spirit of caring for and supporting one another within our community. Supporting and developing qualified local leadership within County government can be one way to put that principle into practice.
Leadership in the Department of Human Concerns requires not only experience and qualifications, but also the trust and confidence of the community it serves. Ensuring that local leadership and local candidates are fully considered can help strengthen that trust.
As the Council reviews this appointment, it may be helpful to better understand the recruitment process, including how many applicants applied, how many were Hawaiʻi residents, and whether current leadership within the County or other qualified local candidates were given the opportunity to apply.
I am writing in support of the appointment of Margaret T. Willis to the position of Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui. Maggie and I worked together in the City of Santa Monica. It may seem odd that a misdemeanor prosecutor with over 15 years of experience would be writing in support of someone seeking this position but that is part of what makes Maggie so impressive. She brings together a diverse group of people to get to the heart of an issue. She is not afraid to hear opposite viewpoints and work hard to get all interest parties to yes to benefit not only those experiencing homelessness but the residence of the City’s where she has worked. She has proven time and time again that she can take on tough issues in a way that is innovative, transparent, and progressive. She brings to this position years of experience not only in human services but also in leadership and government. She will be an excellent addition to the department of Human Concerns.
Jenna Grigsby
Chief Deputy City Attorney
City of Santa Monica
I am writing in unwavering support of the appointment of Margaret T. Willis to the position of Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui. In my previous position of Assistant to the City Manager on Homelessness for the City of Culver City, I had the pleasure and honor of partnering with Maggie on regional efforts to address housing, homelessness, and to provide care to some of the most vulnerable adults in Los Angeles County. She is a keen observer, a sharp strategist, and most importantly, a warm, empathic, and deeply caring human. Her focus is client-centered, making sure recipients of services are met with care throughout the process. I learned a lot much from her as a colleague, most especially her trauma-informed and community-centered approaches to program development, design, and implementation.
When we think about homelessness, we can be duped into thinking about homelessness as an isolated outcome of bad choices. This is an outdated way to think about unhoused people living on the streets. If we only look at the Point in Time count, we are forgetting about how homelessness is a symptom of multiple systems failures, including the unwillingness to build affordable housing, the lack of investment in our health care systems, and the “pull yourselves up by your bootstraps” mentality that keeps us turning a blind-eye to our collective responsibility, our kuleana, to our neighbors. What’s most important to know is that Margaret understands that homelessness does not occur randomly or in isolation. She brings a systems-thinking lens to this work. She is aware of where the bottlenecks occur, the feedback loops that reinforce bad policy and she has the courageous and bravery from having worked for the City of Santa Monica and the County of Los Angeles, which gives her the specialized qualifications, to be able to make changes, lead with courage, and support the County in advancing its goals to serve the people of Maui.
Los Angeles County is better off because of her service in this sector and I trust that Maui County will be better off too.
Helen Chin
Former Assistant to the City Manager on Homelessness for the City of Culver City
Current Chair of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations
I’m writing in support of the appointment of Maggie Willis as the Maui County Director of Human Concerns. I’ve had the honor of working with Maggie for more than a decade as a treasured and trusted colleague in our respective work addressing homelessness, mental health, housing and poverty.
While we worked for different cities, we were part of regional efforts to address homelessness and mental health issues. Maggie was a key voice of experience and a truly collaborative partner in those efforts.
Due to her experience working for a direct service provider, an influential municipality and now for the largest county government in the United States, Maggie understands how human services systems work and, importantly, how they don’t work.
Maggie is thoughtful in her work, and is an intelligent and visionary strategic leader.
She is diligent and forthright with all community stakeholders and is able to work across sectors when others thought it couldn’t be done.
Maggie’s deep knowledge and experience, coupled with her commitment to those who seek to access government services, make her an ideal candidate for this position.
Maggie Willis is one of the finest public servants I have had the pleasure to work with. The Los Angeles region’s loss would most definitely be Maui County’s gain.
Corri Planck
Former Human Services Manager, City of West Hollywood, CA
Chair and Members of the Council,
I am writing in regard to Resolution No. 26-39, approving the appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns.
I appreciate the Administration’s emphasis on addressing homelessness and unsheltered communities as a top priority for Maui County. This is unquestionably one of the most pressing issues facing our island, and it deserves thoughtful, effective leadership.
However, I respectfully ask the Council to carefully examine the justification for waiving the one-year residency requirement under HRS Section 78-1. The statute allows a waiver only when highly specialized knowledge is required AND no qualified resident applicant is available. The resolution indicates there were multiple applicants for this position.
I also understand that the proposed appointee most recently served in Santa Monica, California. While Santa Monica has invested significant resources into addressing homelessness, point-in-time counts show that homelessness there has fluctuated rather than consistently declined over recent years — including increases in 2023 and again in 2025, and only modest decreases in 2024 compared with broader regional trends. Importantly, the number of people living unsheltered has remained persistent despite sustained effort.
Given that record, I respectfully ask the Council to evaluate not only which programs Ms. Willis was responsible for, but also what measurable outcomes resulted from them. If “highly specialized knowledge” is the basis for waiving the residency requirement, it would be helpful to understand the demonstrated success of that specialization in terms of documented, sustained improvements.
If the Council is to approve this appointment, I respectfully request clarity on the following:
• What specific “highly specialized” qualifications were deemed necessary for this role?
• In what ways did resident applicants not meet those qualifications?
• How was the determination made that no qualified resident was available?
This decision is not simply about one individual. It sets a precedent for how residency requirements are interpreted and how local leadership is valued. Transparency and accountability in this process will help maintain public trust.
I urge the Council to fully evaluate whether the statutory standard for waiving residency has truly been met before confirming this appointment.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Good morning, Chair and Members of the Maui County Council,
I am providing written testimony in opposition of Resolution 26-39, which is written would approve the mayor's appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns. There are many aspects related to this appointment that are troublesome. The mayor's office is the entity that assembled the so-called panel of experts that conducted the interviews for the applicants. Given that the now-retired Director Tsuhako is one of the only people on Maui County that can truly be called an expert on matters related to homelessness in Maui County, I'd like to know the qualifications of those that participated in the interview process. I find it hard to believe that out of the 21 applicants that were interviewed, that this team came to the conclusion that not a single resident of the State had comparable qualifications. Waiving the residency requirements based on the arguments of the County's Corporation Counsel is also a concern, given the numerous challenges that have been mounted against their recent legal opinions. Did the interview panel consist of the same experts that the Mayor is relying on to advise him on how to address the sprawling and dangerous homeless encampments at the Old Maui High School and the Cut Mountain bypass? Two sites that are extremely fire prone and rapidly growing into lawless wastelands thanks to the tacit support of this administration. This is not the type of homeless management that the majority of voting residents of Maui County support. Brining in a mainland resident with zero local connections, little, if any, knowledge of our social service agencies, and for a tenure that could possibly last only 6-9 months is asinine. The administration is acting like they've already been reelected. Given all the turmoil of the past 3 years, that is not guaranteed by any means. I cannot support the mayor's decision to waste all this money brining in someone from the mainland, instead of the numerous talented local individuals that applied. Why is this individual relocating for a similar paycheck that they were receiving in California? The cost of living here is much higher, the housing market is extremely constricted, they've only been here on vacation a few times, and despite the statements in the press release, this individual has no understanding of local dynamics and sensitivities. Talking about Nisei heritage in one sentence and then pivoting to talking about mana'o in the next sentence is racial pandering and cringeworthy. Please councilmembers, look at all the negative comments related to this press release on Facebook and other social media sites. The only positive statements regarding this selection come from her friends and former colleagues, not a single resident of Hawaii. Look at the strong opposition of YOUR voting constituents. November will be here before you know it, and it is shaping up to be a very interesting election cycle. Please advise the mayor to revisit this decision and appoint a local applicant that won't take years to train up. A person that can jump into the role and be effective from day one. Approving this individual runs the risk of alienating an already overburdened workforce, thus creating more of the problems that they are supposedly trying to eliminate. I appreciate this opportunity to voice my opinion and thank you for your time.
Resolution 26-39
Hire KAMAAINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a member of the non-profit community of Maui County that receives generous funding from the County, I oppose the nomination of Margaret Willis to be Director of Human Concerns (Resolution 26-39). There has been so much collaboration, coordination and network building over the past 10+ years. We need continuity in leadership, relationships with trusted partners, a leader who knows us and will call us into action when things need to get done. Please don't make us start from scratch.
Aloha Chair and Members of the GREAT Committee,
I am submitting testimony on Resolution 26-39. I have concerns that I sincerely hope the committee addresses before making an informed decision on Ms. Willis’s appointment.
As stated in Resolution 26-39, HRS §78-1 states that the one year residency requirement may be waived by the appointing authority when the appointive officer is: (1) Required to have highly specialized or scientific knowledge and training and a qualified applicant who is a resident for at least one year is not available to fill the position.
1) Why are residents of the State for at least one year who applied and were interviewed for this position not considered to be qualified applicants?
2) If residents of the State for at least one year applied and met the minimum qualifications for this position, then a) they are qualified applicants b) their consideration for this appointment is necessary, and c) the residency requirement cannot be waived for Ms. Willis’s appointment.
Please provide the public with transparent and honest conversations conducted in a public forum regarding these issues. Mahalo for your consideration and the opportunity to provide testimony.
Aloha Chair and Members of the Council,
I am writing to provide testimony in opposition to Resolution 26-39, which would approve the appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui.
While some may argue that an outside perspective can bring new ideas, a “fresh perspective” is not necessarily what our community needs. Local experience is NOT a limitation—it is a strength. A local leader who is already familiar with our local community, nonprofit partners, and systems will be better positioned to act quickly and effectively.
The Department of Human Concerns plays a critical role in addressing some of the most pressing issues facing our community – aside from homelessness, the department oversees operations in volunteer coordination for Maui County, social service coordination and programming for our kupuna, immigration services, early childhood resources for our keiki and grant funding for non-profits that support our vulnerable residents across Maui County.
Leadership of this department requires someone who possesses the local understanding of all the social, economic, and cultural dynamics that shape the vast and unique needs of our community members - from age keiki to kupuna. Not an individual with allegedly specialized knowledge that can serve ONLY ONE of the SEVEN divisions of the Department of Human Concerns.
I respectfully request that the Council encourage the selection of a qualified local candidate who understands our unique community needs of Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi.
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony and thank you for your continued service to our community.
Best,
A Concerned Kahului Resident
Aloha Chair and Council Members. I listened to Mayor Bissen's State of the County address less than a week ago when he encouraged those of us who are considering leaving Maui to instead stay and continue to make our homes here, to raise our families here, to continue to call Maui our home. I believe the Mayor's campaign slogan was "Kama`aina prosperity". I hope that Mayor is able to explain how his hring of a mainlander without any ties to Maui, is aligned with his campaign promise to us of Kama`aina prosperity. Should I be worried about my parents continuing to receive their Meals on Wheels and other services from Human Concerns, or is Mayor going to create a "Department of Houselessness" to utilize the nominee's expertise?
I am pleased to offer my strong support for the hiring of Margaret Willis as the Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui. Margaret is an exceptional professional whose leadership, compassion, and collaborative approach make her uniquely qualified to serve in this important role.
During Margaret’s tenure with the City of Santa Monica, I had the opportunity to see firsthand her ability to work effectively across multiple disciplines and agencies. She consistently demonstrated an outstanding ability to build strong partnerships with city and county government entities, including the Police Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and a wide network of community-based service providers. Margaret understands that complex social challenges—particularly those involving vulnerable populations—require coordinated, thoughtful, and sustained collaboration. She excels in bringing diverse stakeholders together to work toward practical and compassionate solutions.
Margaret worked closely with the Santa Monica Police Department, particularly in support of our Homeless Liaison Program (HLP), which focuses on outreach and services for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Through that partnership, she helped strengthen the coordination between law enforcement and service providers, ensuring that individuals experiencing homelessness were connected with the resources and support they needed. Her approach balanced accountability with humanity, always recognizing the dignity of those being served while maintaining a focus on community safety and well-being.
What sets Margaret apart is not only her professional capability but also her character. She brings genuine empathy and compassion to her work, combined with an exceptional work ethic and a deep commitment to public service. She is thoughtful, solutions-oriented, and unwavering in her dedication to improving outcomes for individuals and families facing difficult circumstances.
I have every confidence that Margaret will bring the same level of professionalism, collaboration, and heart to the County of Maui. She has the experience, leadership, and integrity necessary to effectively guide the Department of Human Concerns and to work productively with government partners, law enforcement, and community organizations.
I strongly support her appointment and believe she will be an outstanding asset to Maui County.
Darrick Jacob
Police Chief
City of Santa Monica
Aloha Chair and Members of the GREAT Committee,
I am submitting testimony on Resolution 26-39 regarding the appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns.
The resolution states that the residency requirement under HRS §78-1 has been waived because no qualified resident applicant allegedly possesses the specialized knowledge needed to address issues related to unsheltered communities. Given the many professionals across Maui County who have spent years working in housing programs, senior services, community outreach, and other services for vulnerable populations, it is reasonable to ask whether the recruitment process fully considered the depth of local experience that already exists within our community.
The Department of Human Concerns oversees a wide range of programs beyond homelessness, including services for our kūpuna through the Office on Aging and Kaunoa Senior Services, early childhood programs, immigrant services, and many community partnerships that support residents throughout Maui County. Leading this department requires not only professional expertise, but also a strong understanding of our local communities and the relationships that support these programs.
The Administration has often spoken about the value “Mālama i ke kahi i ke kahi,” the spirit of caring for and supporting one another within our community. Supporting and developing qualified local leadership within County government can be one way to put that principle into practice.
Leadership in the Department of Human Concerns requires not only experience and qualifications, but also the trust and confidence of the community it serves. Ensuring that local leadership and local candidates are fully considered can help strengthen that trust.
As the Council reviews this appointment, it may be helpful to better understand the recruitment process, including how many applicants applied, how many were Hawaiʻi residents, and whether current leadership within the County or other qualified local candidates were given the opportunity to apply.
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony.
I am writing in support of the appointment of Margaret T. Willis to the position of Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui. Maggie and I worked together in the City of Santa Monica. It may seem odd that a misdemeanor prosecutor with over 15 years of experience would be writing in support of someone seeking this position but that is part of what makes Maggie so impressive. She brings together a diverse group of people to get to the heart of an issue. She is not afraid to hear opposite viewpoints and work hard to get all interest parties to yes to benefit not only those experiencing homelessness but the residence of the City’s where she has worked. She has proven time and time again that she can take on tough issues in a way that is innovative, transparent, and progressive. She brings to this position years of experience not only in human services but also in leadership and government. She will be an excellent addition to the department of Human Concerns.
Jenna Grigsby
Chief Deputy City Attorney
City of Santa Monica
I am writing in unwavering support of the appointment of Margaret T. Willis to the position of Director of Human Concerns for the County of Maui. In my previous position of Assistant to the City Manager on Homelessness for the City of Culver City, I had the pleasure and honor of partnering with Maggie on regional efforts to address housing, homelessness, and to provide care to some of the most vulnerable adults in Los Angeles County. She is a keen observer, a sharp strategist, and most importantly, a warm, empathic, and deeply caring human. Her focus is client-centered, making sure recipients of services are met with care throughout the process. I learned a lot much from her as a colleague, most especially her trauma-informed and community-centered approaches to program development, design, and implementation.
When we think about homelessness, we can be duped into thinking about homelessness as an isolated outcome of bad choices. This is an outdated way to think about unhoused people living on the streets. If we only look at the Point in Time count, we are forgetting about how homelessness is a symptom of multiple systems failures, including the unwillingness to build affordable housing, the lack of investment in our health care systems, and the “pull yourselves up by your bootstraps” mentality that keeps us turning a blind-eye to our collective responsibility, our kuleana, to our neighbors. What’s most important to know is that Margaret understands that homelessness does not occur randomly or in isolation. She brings a systems-thinking lens to this work. She is aware of where the bottlenecks occur, the feedback loops that reinforce bad policy and she has the courageous and bravery from having worked for the City of Santa Monica and the County of Los Angeles, which gives her the specialized qualifications, to be able to make changes, lead with courage, and support the County in advancing its goals to serve the people of Maui.
Los Angeles County is better off because of her service in this sector and I trust that Maui County will be better off too.
Helen Chin
Former Assistant to the City Manager on Homelessness for the City of Culver City
Current Chair of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations
I’m writing in support of the appointment of Maggie Willis as the Maui County Director of Human Concerns. I’ve had the honor of working with Maggie for more than a decade as a treasured and trusted colleague in our respective work addressing homelessness, mental health, housing and poverty.
While we worked for different cities, we were part of regional efforts to address homelessness and mental health issues. Maggie was a key voice of experience and a truly collaborative partner in those efforts.
Due to her experience working for a direct service provider, an influential municipality and now for the largest county government in the United States, Maggie understands how human services systems work and, importantly, how they don’t work.
Maggie is thoughtful in her work, and is an intelligent and visionary strategic leader.
She is diligent and forthright with all community stakeholders and is able to work across sectors when others thought it couldn’t be done.
Maggie’s deep knowledge and experience, coupled with her commitment to those who seek to access government services, make her an ideal candidate for this position.
Maggie Willis is one of the finest public servants I have had the pleasure to work with. The Los Angeles region’s loss would most definitely be Maui County’s gain.
Corri Planck
Former Human Services Manager, City of West Hollywood, CA
Chair and Members of the Council,
I am writing in regard to Resolution No. 26-39, approving the appointment of Margaret T. Willis as Director of Human Concerns.
I appreciate the Administration’s emphasis on addressing homelessness and unsheltered communities as a top priority for Maui County. This is unquestionably one of the most pressing issues facing our island, and it deserves thoughtful, effective leadership.
However, I respectfully ask the Council to carefully examine the justification for waiving the one-year residency requirement under HRS Section 78-1. The statute allows a waiver only when highly specialized knowledge is required AND no qualified resident applicant is available. The resolution indicates there were multiple applicants for this position.
I also understand that the proposed appointee most recently served in Santa Monica, California. While Santa Monica has invested significant resources into addressing homelessness, point-in-time counts show that homelessness there has fluctuated rather than consistently declined over recent years — including increases in 2023 and again in 2025, and only modest decreases in 2024 compared with broader regional trends. Importantly, the number of people living unsheltered has remained persistent despite sustained effort.
Given that record, I respectfully ask the Council to evaluate not only which programs Ms. Willis was responsible for, but also what measurable outcomes resulted from them. If “highly specialized knowledge” is the basis for waiving the residency requirement, it would be helpful to understand the demonstrated success of that specialization in terms of documented, sustained improvements.
If the Council is to approve this appointment, I respectfully request clarity on the following:
• What specific “highly specialized” qualifications were deemed necessary for this role?
• In what ways did resident applicants not meet those qualifications?
• How was the determination made that no qualified resident was available?
This decision is not simply about one individual. It sets a precedent for how residency requirements are interpreted and how local leadership is valued. Transparency and accountability in this process will help maintain public trust.
I urge the Council to fully evaluate whether the statutory standard for waiving residency has truly been met before confirming this appointment.
Thank you for your time and consideration.