HIEMA leadership shifts as Barros steps down, Lopez takes over

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is changing hands at a moment when Hawaii Island is juggling hurricane preparation, earthquake recovery, and the constant pressure of wildfire, storm, tsunami and volcanic threats. Administrator James Barros is stepping down July 1, and David Lopez is returning to HIEMA to take over the agency’s day-to-day operations. For Big Island residents, the shift matters less as a personnel move than as a test of continuity at the state office that helps coordinate alerts, planning and response across the islands.

Barros has led HIEMA since February 1, 2023, after returning to state service from Booz Allen Hamilton, where he worked as a senior exercise planner supporting the 25th Infantry Division. Before that, he served as an emergency management staff officer with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management. Barros also retired from the Hawaii Army National Guard after a 32-year career, including 22 years in active service.

Lopez is coming back to HIEMA with his own emergency management record. The state said he most recently served as State Disaster Recovery Coordinator and chief of the Hawaii Office of Recovery and Resiliency, where he helped shape the state’s disaster recovery framework and coordinated long-term recovery after the Maui wildfires. He had also served as HIEMA Executive Officer in June 2020, and the state said he previously worked as Hurricane Program Manager. Stephen F. Logan said he had worked with Lopez when Lopez was HIEMA Executive Officer and again during his time at HI-ORR.

The transition carries weight on Hawaii Island because HIEMA sits at the center of the state’s emergency network. The agency plans for and responds to natural and human-caused emergencies, while Hawaii’s four county emergency management agencies issue local alerts and coordinate with HIEMA. Hawaii County Civil Defense says it is the county’s local emergency management agency, with a mission that includes prevention, protection, mitigation, response, recovery, collaboration and community resiliency.

The timing also puts the handoff against a busy preparedness calendar. In late May, state and county emergency officials pushed hurricane readiness and urged residents to sign up for county alerts before the season deepens. At the same time, the County of Hawaii has opened recovery centers in Naalehu and Kealakekua for assistance tied to the May 22 Kona earthquake, underscoring how much Hawaii County still depends on smooth state-county coordination when the next hazard arrives.