In a July 29 memo, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga appointed Soloali’i Fa'alepo Fa'alepo Jr. as director of his office in Hawai’i - also known as the Amerika Samoa Office Hawai’i (ASO-Hawai’i) which was previously headed by Afimutasi Gus Hannemann, who passed away January this year in Honolulu.

According to the governor’s memo, the appointment becomes effective today Aug. 1 and Soloali’i will oversee the governor’s office in Honolulu and shall be responsible to carry out the mandated functions for this office.

Additionally, Soloali’i will carry out functions and responsibilities assigned to the Office of the Governor in Hawai’i in compliance with local and federal laws. 

Soloali’i’s appointment is not subject to Fono confirmation because the Hawai’i office is a division of the Governor’s Office.

After taking over the helm of government in January 2013, Lolo issued a memo outlining the mandated functions of the Hawai’i office, and this includes facilitating the obtainment of travel visas for residents of Samoan ancestry in need of such assistance.

The office is also to liaison with Samoan communities or individuals requiring assistance from the state of Hawai’i and the City and County of Honolulu — where the office is located. Additionally, assist residents from American Samoa requiring medical services in Hawai’i; assist in locating places for patients to stay while attending to their medical needs during their stay in Hawai’i; and provide assistance to all Armed Forces personnel in need of help from the state of Hawai’i, City and County of Honolulu or from the Red Cross in American Samoa for family emergencies, which might require travel to the territory.

The office is also to provide assistance to all American Samoan students attending colleges and university in Hawai’i and the mainland regarding their needs; and assist ASG directors in setting up appointments for meetings in Hawai’i for both government and businesses.

One of the important functions of this office over the years is assisting American Samoans living in Hawai’i get a copy of their birth certificate from the Office of Vital Statistics in the territory.

The Hawai’i office, located about 10-minutes drive from downtown Honolulu, has an approved budget of $360,500 for the current fiscal year 2015, which ends Sept. 30, 2015, according to budget documents.

Soloali’i had previously headed the ASG-Hawai’i Office during the Togiola Administration. An ASG report released in early 2013 to the Senate on “payouts” to former cabinet directors and senior officials of the Togiola administration shows a payout of $28,047 for Soloali’i.

Soloali’i is well known within the Samoan community in Honolulu and had served as vice chair of the Samoan Heritage Week in Hawai’i during Togiola’s tenure. He also runs a Samoan television program on a public access TV station in Honolulu.