“He’s one of those folks that get up each morning ready to face the challenges
to work toward a better future for all of us.”
~ Representative Marcus Oshiro,
State House of Representatives.
For nearly 30 years, Kirk has helped his clients interpret the law as a trained attorney and partner in a local law firm. In 2002, Caldwell began his public service career when he was elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives, representing the Manoa and University area and quickly rose to many leadership positions including House Majority Leader. In January 2009, Kirk was appointed Managing Director for the City and County of Honolulu, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city, serving the needs of the nearly one million residents on Oahu. Kirk also served as mayor, after his predecessor resigned to run for governor in 2010.
Selected Accomplishments in Government Service
Managing Director/Acting Mayor
- Introduced a collaborative leadership style to tackle the problems facing the city, and managed a $1.82 billion budget and a 10,000 employee work force.
- Balanced the city’s budget during a severe recession, while ensuring the city received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.
- Launched an initiative to provide bus service to people in homeless shelters and transitional housing in West Oahu to help connect them to job opportunities and the community in Kapolei.
- Announced the start of a federally funded intersection improvement project in Kaimuki that would help ease congestion onto the H-1 freeway.
- Successfully expedited $150 million in road repaving
- Announced the implementation of the Transferable Occupation Relationship Quotient system, or TORQ, a new tool designed to help Oahu’s workforce grow by matching qualified job-seekers with employers.
- Initiated efforts to develop affordable housing in urban centers to help people live closer to where they work.
- Approved fireworks restrictions law to better protect public safety by reducing the risks of fire and injury that fireworks can present.
- Supported the awarding of nearly $1 million in grants to community groups working to prevent underage drinking among Oahu youth.
- Oversaw the implementation of a new canoe halau construction project at Ala Moana Beach Park to provide a safe place to store canoes, while enhancing the park’s Hawaiian sense of place.
- Proposed legislation to help provide tax credits for a “gap group” of about 250 people who saw their property tax rates soar after the city reclassified their properties from residential to commercial/ industrial.
Hawaii State Legislature
- Advocated tax relief for Hawaii’s families
- Championed health care for all children in Hawaii
- Fought for millions of dollars in repair and maintenance funds to fix our schools.
- Introduced bill relating to parking for disabled persons to ensure proper access to reserved parking for the disabled.
- Introduced the Mortgage Foreclosure bill providing relief and additional protection to mortgage loan borrowers involved in home foreclosures.
- Appropriated $20,000,000 in Reed Act funds allowing the state’s department of labor and industrial relations to:
- Implement a computer system that benefitting workforce development activities and programs operated by all four counties state-wide;
- Improve employer outreach and services provided by the state’s four local workforce investment boards.
