Ron Kouchi

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Ron Kouchi

|image = Ron Kouchi.jpg

|office = 14th President of the Hawaii Senate

|vicepresident = Michelle Kidani (since 2016)
Will Espero (2014-2016)

|term_start = May 5, 2015

|term_end =

|predecessor = Donna Mercado Kim

|successor =

|office1 = Vice President of the Hawaii State Senate

|term_start1 = December 28, 2012

|term_end1 = November 5, 2014

|predecessor1 = Donna Mercado Kim

|successor1 = Will Espero

|state_senate2 = Hawaii

|district2 = 8th

|term_start2 = September 7, 2010

|term_end2 =

|appointed2 = Linda Lingle

|predecessor2 = Gary Hooser

|successor2 =

|birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|58|2016|7|31}}{{cite news |title=District 08 – Ronald Dan Kouchi (D) |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/07/31/election/ronald-dan-kouchi-2016/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |date=31 July 2016}}

|birth_place = Los Angeles, California, United States

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|spouse = Joy Tanimoto

|children = 2

|education = Drake University {{small|(BA)}}

|website = {{URL|ronkouchi.com|Official website}}

}}

Ronald Dan Kouchi is a Democratic politician from Hawaii, representing the 8th district in the state Senate. He has served as the 14th President of the Hawaiʻi Senate since 2015.

Personal life

Ron Kouchi is married to Joy Naomi Tanimoto. He has two sons, Dan and Egan.{{cite web|title=Ron Kouchi|url=http://ronkouchi.com/index.php?page=candidate|access-date=26 August 2013}}

Career

Kouchi received his high school diploma from Waimea High School and attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.{{cite web|title=CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY|url=http://ronkouchi.com/index.php?page=candidate|access-date=26 August 2013}} He served as a lobbyist for the County of Kaua‘i at the Hawai‘i State Legislature and is a former member of the Legislative Committee of the Kaua'i Chamber of Commerce. He served for 22 years (11 terms) as a Kaua‘i County Councilman, including 12 years as Council Chair.{{cite web|title=Smart business Hawaii|url=http://smartbusinesshawaii.com/index.php/news/article/sbh_news_views_september_15/|work=Sam Slom|access-date=26 August 2013}}{{cite web|title=Figueira and Kouchi Appointed to Fill Hawaii Senate Vacant Seats|url=http://www.hawaiireporter.com/figueira-and-kouchi-appointed-to-fill-hawaii-senate-vacant-seats|publisher=Hawaii Reporter|access-date=26 August 2013|author=Lenny Klompus|date=8 September 2010 }} He is a former director of the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (2003-2006) and the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau. He served on the boards of the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital and YMCA, and chaired the Wilcox Health Foundation’s capital campaign. He worked as a legislative analyst for the former Rep. Dennis Yamada in 1982, before getting appointed to the Senate (District 7) for the first time in 2010.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} Kouchi defeated John Sydney Yamane in the September 18 primary and Republican candidate David Hamman and Nonpartisan candidate Alfred Darling in the Hawaii State Senate elections 2010.[http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2010/general/files/histatewide.pdf Hawaii State Office of Elections - 2010 general election certified results] He was elected to the Senate (District 8) in 2012. He has served as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Agriculture, the Vice Chair of the Committee on Tourism, and the Majority Caucus Leader.[http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=kouchi Legislative Members] He has sponsored 244 bills.[http://openstates.org/hi/legislators/HIL000016/ronald-d-kouchi/ Ronald D. Kouchi - Hawaii State Legislature - Open States]