U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono has chosen Alan Yamamoto, a former senior legislative assistant to the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, as her state director.

Yamamoto, who lives in Kailua, has both congressional and private sector experience.

“While my staff works directly for me -- they are working first and foremost for the people of Hawaii. Alan is an experienced leader in our state who knows how to get results for Hawaii. Throughout his career in the public and private sectors, Alan has developed partnerships with leaders in Hawaii and Washington and those experiences will help me deliver for the state,” the Hawaii Democrat said in a statement.