Three Elected to Kauai Island Utility Cooperative Board of Directors

Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative seated three new board members after an election in which incumbents Allan A. Smith and Jim Mayfield secured re-election and Bryson Ponce, retired from Kauai Police Department Administration, claimed the third available seat.

Smith led all candidates with 2,306 votes. Mayfield followed with 2,122 votes, and Ponce rounded out the top three with 2,012 votes. The results, compiled by Merriman River Group, a Connecticut-based election management firm, were announced on Saturday, March 14, with official tallies published March 16.

Four other candidates competed for the three seats. Janet Kass finished closest to the winners with 1,704 votes, followed by Dan Giovanni at 1,375, Alicia Leong at 1,219, and Greg Kamm at 826.

KIUC mailed 27,029 ballots to member-owners across the island and received 4,322 responses, a turnout of 16 percent. The cooperative's member-driven governance structure means ratepayers on Kauaʻi elect the board that oversees decisions on energy rates, infrastructure investment, and the island's push toward renewable generation.

All three directors will serve 3-year terms ending March 2029. They were scheduled to be inaugurated on March 24 at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors.