Honolulu Civil Engineers Jami Hirota and Kimo Unten Promoted

Jami Hirota, PE promoted to Honolulu Operations Manager; Kimo Unten, PE to Senior Discipline Manager

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 25, 2024 – Coffman celebrates two leadership transitions as Jami Hirota, PE, LSIT, LEED BD&C, is promoted to Operations Manager for Honolulu, and Kimo Unten, PE, LEED AP, is promoted to Senior Discipline Manager.

As the Honolulu operations manager, Jami will support office operations and management while maintaining her duties of managing the BD/marketing team and the project management group. With Kimo’s support, she will continue to oversee the civil engineering team. Kimo will take a larger role in managing the civil engineering team, allowing Jami time for her new responsibilities.

“Jami’s dedication and leadership are impressive, and we are excited to see her take on an expanded role. Kimo’s experience and collaborative energy will be invaluable in this larger capacity and new role,” said John Thielst, Coffman’s Senior Vice President and Pacific Region Managing Principal. “These promotions are well-deserved and strategic. Jami and Kimo have made tremendous contributions to our success as a region, and we’re confident they’ll excel in their new roles.”

Jami Hirota brings over 27 years of client-focused engineering experience spanning project phases from entitlement and design to project management and oversight. Her diverse clientele includes private development, federal, state and local government, and schools. In addition to prioritizing clients, Jami focuses on developing skills and leadership on her team and at Coffman.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to grow and learn and am truly honored to step into my new role. By embodying our mission to empower our team to deliver innovative engineering solutions focused on our clients’ success, I look forward to making a meaningful impact in this expanded capacity.”

Kimo Unten has 19 years of civil engineering experience in Hawaii, supporting clients ranging from government agencies to private sector clients. Fostering strong client relationships and collaborative solutions are key to his approach. Kimo’s technical experience covers a wide range of projects, including entitlement support, commercial site design, roadway expansion, school improvements, master planning, and site analysis, among other project types.

“I’m excited for my new role and the opportunity to support and grow our incredible staff. John and Jami strive to provide a supportive atmosphere for our staff that allows us to develop into superb engineers, and I look forward to continuing these efforts.”

Coffman’s Honolulu office is part of the Pacific Region, which includes an office in Guam. The offices have 88 engineers and support staff offering civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection engineering.