PUC PRIDE! PUC Wins DCCA Team of the Year and Spirit of DCCA Awards

Members of the PUC ʻohana were recognized at the 2026 Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Incentive and Service Awards on Aug.19 at Aliʻiolani Hale. The annual awards ceremony recognizes outstanding employee performance, leadership, teamwork and service with this year's honors reflecting accomplishments from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025.

At the awards ceremony, PUC employees proudly cheered as the PUC Core Values Team was named DCCA Team of the Year, and PUC Communications Specialist Valerie Trujillo received the Spirit of DCCA Award. Executive Officer Jodi Endo Chai was nominated for Manager of the Year and Accountant Lea Reyes was nominated for Employee of the Year. As the DCCA Team of the Year, the PUC Core Values Team will advance to compete against other State Executive Branch departments at the Governor's Awards on Sept. 15 at the State Capitol Auditorium.

DCCA Team of the Year - PUC Core Values Team: Keeping Our "TLCS" Core Values Alive!

Established in late 2024, the PUC Core Values Team is an employee-led volunteer group dedicated to bringing the PUC's core values of Transparency, Leadership, Collaboration and Service (TLCS) to life.

Made up of employees from across the agency, the team helps keep our TLCS Core Values top-of-mind through activities, recognition, and other opportunities for engagement. They create meaningful opportunities for staff to connect, build relationships and take an active role in shaping PUC workplace culture. Through these efforts, employees are encouraged to demonstrate leadership, strengthen collaboration and model the behaviors that support a thriving workplace.

Throughout 2025, the team organized monthly lunch socials, family-friendly events and community service activities, including the Annual PUC Family Beach Picnic, bowling night, native tree and plant restoration with the Aloha Tree Alliance, the Make-A-Wish Hawaiʻi Jingle Rock Run and support for the Hawaiʻi Foodbank.

Together, these initiatives have encouraged employees to put the PUC's TLCS Core Values into action while strengthening relationships within the PUC and the broader community.

Core Values Team Members: Lyan Bonn (Human Resources Manager), Carly Fujinaka (Human Resources Specialist), Russell Henna (Investigator), Angie Kao (Utility Analyst), Jacob Leclerc (Attorney), Ashley Norman (Utility Analyst), Andrew Okabe (Engineer), Roderrick Simpliciano (Auditor), Lea Reyes (Accountant), Mary Jane Tadena Hart (Executive Assistant to the Executive Officer), Valerie Trujillo (Communications Specialist) and Commissioner Colin Yost.

Spirit of DCCA - Communications Specialist Valerie Trujillo: We've Got Spirit!

The Spirit of DCCA Award recognizes an employee whose contributions positively influence and inspire those around them - and PUC Communications Specialist Valerie Trujillo does just that.

Through her work in communications and employee engagement, Trujillo has helped create more opportunities for staff to feel informed, recognized and connected. From highlighting staff accomplishments and keeping employees connected through the PUC employee intranet "Hana Hub," to organizing monthly lunch socials, volunteer opportunities and other workplace activities, her efforts have helped strengthen connections across the PUC and encourage greater participation in workplace culture.

The PUC is grateful for this recognition by the DCCA and are proud of the many public employees whose everyday contributions help sustain a collaborative, supportive and service-focused workplace. These honors recognize the teamwork, service and positive connections that employees continue to build throughout the PUC.