Danny Mateo

DENNIS "DANNY" A. MATEO
Chair, Maui County Council

Dennis “Danny” Mateo’s historical rise to political prominence as
the first Filipino descendent to be elected as the Council Chair
of the County of Maui is marked with hard work, fortitude,
sincerity, and an unpretentious attitude that is welcomed by the
residents.

Danny’s father emigrated from Laoag City, Philippines, to the
Hawaiian Island of Maui in 1929, where he was put to work on
the sugarcane plantations for $20 per month. He married Nora
Lopes and together they raised 9 children. Danny, the eight
child born into this large family, greatly admired his deceased
father, who he says, taught him to have pride in simple values
and truths, his religion, and most of all, his heritage. Danny

has crafted his father’s no nonsense ethics into a personal philosophy and political ideology.

Raised in the Plantation Camp of Store Village in Paia, Danny fondly recalls, “I really didn’t know I
was poor. We never lacked for anything”. He remembers the Aloha spirit of the community and
the sustenance the camp families enjoyed from fruit gathering, vegetable gardening, and poultry
raising.

In 1974, Danny’s work took him to the Hawaiian Island of Molokai, where he was the General
Manager of Tropical Rent-a-Car and Tropical Rent-a-Mule. Several years later, he met and
married a Molokai girl, Clarissa Kaupu, and decided to make the “Friendly Isle” his home. He and
Clarissa have 3 children and 11 grandchildren.

Danny’s modest beginnings lay the foundation for his dedication to protecting the interests of
the hard-working residents of the County. His political pursuit began in earnest in 1997 when he
began working as the Executive Assistant to then Maui County Council Chair Patrick Kawano. He
reflects on this as a time when he identified and researched some of the economic, ecological,
housing and infrastructure issues and challenges facing the County. Upon Chair Kawano’s
untimely passing in 2002, Danny was sworn into office to complete the unexpired term, whereby
he commenced an aggressive campaign to address those challenges. He has been elected to
the council for four successive two-year terms since then.

As a council member, Danny was the first Chair of the Water Resources Committee, which was
formed to address the unique water challenges facing the County. He was also Chair of the
Housing and Human Concerns Committee, and Vice-Chair of a number of committees. He now
holds the County Chair’s seat and is Vice-Chair of the Committee of the Whole and Vice-Chair of
the Budget and Finance Committee.

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ADs of
Danny Mateo

Danny epitomizes the dedicated community servant. A strong supporter of the youth in
Molokai, he supports and assists with the annual Molokai Business Expo, which, in part,
showcases high school entrepreneurs. He also participates in the Molokai Chamber of
Commerce Annual Golf Tournament that raises money to help high school students launch their
business ventures. He hopes that by example, he can foster some of the values in today’s
youth that were instilled in him, and in this manner pay homage to his Filipino ancestry.

Barbara Haliniak, Executive Director of the Molokai Chamber of Commerce stresses that Danny
has worked tirelessly with the Molokai Chamber of Commerce and has consistently lent his
support and time to advocate for the interests of the community. She says that it is Danny’s
“boundless energy, enthusiasm, and integrity” that fuel his “commitment to build communities,
respect the diversification of all people, and help the development of businesses.”

In 2006, Danny was privileged to co-chair the committee organizing the Sakada Centennial
Celebration, which honored the 100-year anniversary of the first workers brought to Hawaii
from the Philippines. By the 1920’s these workers, known as the “Sakadas”, became the
backbone of the sugar and pineapple industries in Hawaii. The Sakadas are endeared by the
Filipino Community in Hawaii for the sacrifices they made for the generations of today. For this
reason, Danny takes every opportunity to help perpetuate the Filipino culture and send a
message of unity to all cultures residing together in Hawaii.

Danny’s other accomplishments include: President of Molokai Unity Hui; Chair of Aloha
Festivals; Chair of the Maui District School Advisory Council; Chair of the Maui County Grants
Review Committee; Vice-Chair of the Maui County Democratic Party; Secretary of the Molokai
Chamber of Commerce; Coordinator of the Mrs. Valentine Molokai Filipino Pageant; and
member of the Molokai Citizens Advisory Committee, the Association of Retarded Citizens,
Molokai Health Foundation, The Molokai March of Dimes, and the West Molokai Homeowners
Association.

Danny has received a number of awards and recognitions for his hard work and dedication,
including the 2005 United Filipino Council of Hawaii Progress Award; Molokai Chamber of
Commerce Molokai Aloha Spirit Award; State Department of Education Recognition Certificate of
Service; County of Maui Grants Review Committee Recognition Certificate; and the Maui County
Democratic Party Recognition Award.

Dennis “Danny” Mateo has a vision for the future of the County of Maui. Given the current
economic climate, he candidly admits that the Council faces some tough decisions in the future.
He hopes that his bountiful yet no-frills life experience, together with his straightforward
attitude towards the work that lies ahead, will breathe new life into this diverse island resort
community that embraced his and so many other Filipino families long ago.
Maraming salamat po.

The current budget deliberations have
been difficult for the Council, as it has
encountered shortfalls and impending
deficits due to the present economic
climate. Nonetheless, since taking office in
2002, Danny has helped to secure
approximately $129 million dollars in
funding, through his fiscally conservative
approach, to support projects and
organizaions vital to the health and well-
being of the residents of Molokai.

During his tenure on the Council, Danny
has witnessed the cost of living skyrocket
and home prices escalate as development
transformed diverse local communities into
resort Meccas to those in the upper
echelon. When he was Chair in the
Housing and Human Concerns Committee,
Danny spearheaded affordable housing
efforts to curb the displacement of Maui’s
working class, and authored Chapter 2.96
of the Maui County Code, which has been
known throughout the State as the “Maui
County Workforce Housing Policy.” This
policy ensures that affordably priced
homes will be constructed and made
available for Maui’s hard-working residents.

Council Chair Danny Mateo and his lovely wife Clarissa
Mateo, Maui County Council Inauguration Day, Jan 2, 2009.
Chair Mateo was sworn in for his fourth term, and
acquired the title Council Chair.