HANNEMANN ANNOUNCES REED WITHDRAWAL

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann today announced that John Reed has withdrawn his name from consideration for the post of managing director.

Reed said in a letter sent this morning to Hannemann, “After considerable thought and deliberation, I’m asking you to withdraw my pending nomination for this post. While it would have been a tremendous honor to serve you and the people of the City and County of Honolulu as managing director, my family expressed concerns about being subjected to the kind of public exposure we’ve seen this week.

“It is, therefore, with deep regret that I will not be accepting this position with your new administration. I hope to serve you in any other capacity and to lend my experience and ideas to helping you achieve your goals for our wonderful city.”

Hannemann expressed his disappointment in Reed’s decision, as well as his continued confidence in Reed’s leadership abilities. “While John’s decision is regrettable, I can certainly understand his desire to shield his family from the rough-and-tumble world of public office. It’s my belief that family comes first, and I respect John’s decision.”

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Friday, January 07, 2005