WASHINGTON — Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) on March 7 applauded the nominations of Nani A. Coloretti and Erika Lizabeth Moritsugu to positions within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Coloretti was nominated for the position of deputy secretary, and Moritsugu was nominated for the position of assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations.
“I congratulate Nani on her nomination … It’s always a pleasure to see women from Hawaii being recognized for their commitment to service and their leadership qualities,” said Hirono. “Nani will bring a wealth of experience to this job and I look forward to working with her once confirmed.”
Coloretti is the assistant secretary for management at the U.S. Department of Treasury, and has previously held various public service positions in the City of San Francisco. She was a budget analyst for the Department of Public Safety in the State of Hawaii from 1991 to 1992. Coloretti is a recipient of the National Public Service Award, the Public Policy and International Affairs Achievement Award, the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, and the Federal 100 Award.
She received a B.A. in economics and communications from the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.
“I’ve known Erika for many years and look forward to her confirmation as assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations … She will bring unique experience to the job,” said Hirono. “From serving as the deputy legislative director for Sen. Akaka to working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service to her time at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the City and County of Honolulu, Erika brings tremendous skill and talent to all that she undertakes.”
Moritsugu is the deputy assistant director for legislative affairs at the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Prior to that, she was the deputy legislative director for Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) from 2010 to 2012. Moritsugu previously served in several capacities at the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.
She has also held positions at Hogan and Hartson LLP; The Wexler Group; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the County of Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office. She is a board member of Pan Pacific American Leaders and Mentors, a 2004 recipient of the Tahirih Justice Center Pro Bono Award, and a 2001 Bryce Harlow Foundation Scholar.
Moritsugu received a B.A. from The College of William and Mary and a J.D. from George Washington University.
In addition to Hirono, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus members who welcomed the nominations included Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), CAPAC chair; Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), CAPAC vice chair; Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii); Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose), CAPAC chair emeritus; Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii); and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), CAPAC Housing Task Force chair.
The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development also applauded the nominations.
“Nani will bring her impressive experience at the Department of Treasury and the City of San Francisco to HUD at a critical moment for housing policy in our country,” said National CAPACD Executive Director Lisa Hasegawa. “Her time in California and Hawaii give her a deep understanding of the diversity of the AAPI community and a commitment to ensuring that communities of color have a seat at the table
“Erika has been a long time leader in the AAPI community with extensive experience on Capitol Hill and most recently at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She has been a consistent champion for issues facing communities of color and all those who are underserved.”
National CAPACD urged the Senate to move toward their swift confirmations.