Our Beaches Were Empty, Our Hospitals Full
Leadership Stories from Hawaii’s Unique Pandemic Response

Hawaii’s response to COVID-19 demanded remarkable collaboration by top leaders in government, business, education and healthcare. In Our Beaches Were Empty, Our Hospitals Full, those leaders recount in their own words all the behind-the-scenes drama of the fight against this deadly pandemic. Here is an inside look at an unprecedented community effort, and a playbook on what to do – and what not to do – the next time around.

Kirk Caldwell served as mayor of the City and County of Honolulu for eight years, terming out at the end of 2020. The COVID-19 response became the first priority during the last year of his administration, when he worked side-by-side with Hawaii’s top leaders, none of whom had a playbook for managing a deadly pandemic. Caldwell had been an attorney for much of his career and has served as majority leader in the Hawaii State House of Representatives and as city managing director.

Georgette Takushi Deemer served as deputy managing director for the City and County of Honolulu during the Caldwell administration. Her professional background is in communications; she was previously communications director for the Hawaii State House of Representatives, as well as serving as the Hawaii state film commissioner.