Meet JoNelle

I’m a lifelong member of this community, a mother of three, and a professional who has built a career where Hilo’s systems either succeed or fall short. From public service and the Windward Planning Commission to my work as a Safety Director for local companies, my work has always been focused one thing: accountability.

I am college educated, but more importantly, community-educated. I come from a family of veterans who taught me that service is a responsibility and way of life, not a slogan.

My perspective comes from real-world experience—as a federal officer, union steward, and through long nights in the Emergency Room, where you see firsthand how issues of housing, mental health, and economic pressures impact our community.

For more than a decade, I’ve also spent my evenings on the streets helping our unhoused neighbors with basic necessities like socks and rain-gear. Those experiences have taught me that while compassion is non-negotiable, it must be paired with structure and clear pathways forward.

I believe in results, not rhetoric. That means creating careers that allow our children to stay home, supporting workers with dignity and livable wages, and using the tools we already have to strengthen local businesses and hold our community to a higher standard of care.

I’m running for County Council because Hilo doesn’t need more analysis and talk. It needs leadership that will get to work.