|
 Governor Linda Lingle appointed Darwin L.D. Ching to be the Interim Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations on August 9, 2007. Mr. Ching was confirmed by the State Senate on October 31, 2007.
As Director, Mr. Ching works with Governor Lingle to address the challenges facing Hawai`i’s working people. “I am pleased to have Darwin join my cabinet to help build on our administration’s successful efforts to ensure the well-being of Hawai`i’s workers and provide quality employment-related services to Hawai`i’s residents and businesses,” said Governor Lingle. “Darwin is a dedicated public servant who has demonstrated leadership throughout his 31-year career. He clearly understands the importance of preparing our workforce to compete in the global marketplace, while continually upgrading the skills of our current workers.”
As Director, Mr. Ching believes that his role at the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is to foster collaborative working relationships with labor unions, the state legislature, businesses and the community. He considers the department’s employees as its most valuable asset and believes strongly in their continued development and training. He is committed to ensuring the progressive growth and education of DLIR’s employees, which will enable them to remain competitive and skilled in the work force, today and in the future.
A local boy, Mr. Ching grew up in Kaimuki and graduated from Kalani High School. After earning a professional diploma from the University of Hawai`i, he taught social studies at Kaimuki Intermediate School, where he was involved in student government and PTA activities.
Four years later, Mr. Ching entered the University of Hawai`i Richardson School of Law and, in 1976, was among the students in the school’s first graduating class. He has since practiced law in both the public sector and as a private attorney.
Before his appointment, Mr. Ching was a solo practitioner in the areas of criminal, personal injury, business, family disputes and family law. Between 1990-1998, he was a partner in the law firms of Yoshida & Ching and Graulty, Ikeda, Ching & Yoshida. From 1981-1988, Mr. Ching worked for the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu. He served in various positions, including supervising attorney for the White Collar Crime Unit and for the District and Family Court Unit. Mr. Ching also served as a deputy attorney general with the state Attorney General’s office from 1979-1981, where he was assigned to the administration division and litigation civil rights and education cases for the Department of Education.
In his private practice, Mr. Ching represented workers before the Disability Compensation Division of the DLIR and the Labor Board of Appeals, as well as labor arbitrations. He was also a labor arbitrator for the state on cases involving the Hawai`i Government Employees Association (HGEA) and United Public Workers (UPW).
With a strong commitment to the youth of our state, Mr. Ching’s community involvement includes being a member of the State of Hawai`i Board of Education from 2005-2006, where he was the chair of the labor negotiations for the HGEA units 6 and 10. He also served on the Palama Settlement Board of Directors and was a coach in the Department of Education, State of Hawai`i Mock Trial Program.
Mr. Ching and his wife Linda are the parents of three children and the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.
|
