New Beginnings: Navigating a Career Path Change
First off, introduce yourself, your UH experience, and your current job
Aloha! I’m Diane Ako and I attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for my Master’s degree in political science. I graduated in 2004.
In 2024 I started working as a Communications Officer for the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS). This is the first time DAGS has ever had a communications professional.
Can you explain the role DAGS plays in the state government?
DAGS, under the direction of the Comptroller – who serves a dual role as the department’s director - manages a wide range of tasks to help keep state government running smoothly. DAGS has direct management supervision over eight divisions: Accounting, Archives, Audit, Automotive Management, Central Services, Land Survey, Office of Enterprise Technology Services and Public Works. We have four district offices on three neighbor islands. And we are attached to 11 more agencies, boards and commissions, which are: Access Hawaiʻi Committee, Building Code Council, Campaign Spending Commission, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, State 9-1-1 Board, Information Privacy Security Council, King Kamehameha Celebration Commission, Office of Elections, Office of Information Practices, Procurement Policy Board and State Procurement Office.
Describe the transition from being a newscaster to a communications officer.
My transition from news to DAGS was very comfortable. I spent 25 years working in news – mostly in this state, so I knew the people, the places and many of the issues coming into this job. I enjoy learning about the state from an insider’s perspective. I spent a lot of time covering stories about the state government, so it’s interesting to see the discussions on this side. I love the job. Public service is a noble cause, the people are nice, my boss is fantastic, and the workload is evenly paced – unlike news, which is very unpredictable and creates adrenaline spikes and odd hours. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that career when I was in it. I accepted that that was part of the lifestyle. I’m still getting used to having deadlines that are weeks or months out, versus the daily newscast deadline. I quickly acclimated to being able to rely on having lunch at a normal time every day – or at all.
What is your favorite memory from your time at UH?
I don’t have a singular memory, but rather, I enjoyed the feeling of learning and engaging deeply in critical thinking. I attended graduate school at the same time that I worked full time at KHNL, and it was a real treat to luxuriate in intellectual exercises and study political theory. That’s something I didn’t have time for anymore as a working journalist. Reporting, of course, also requires intelligence, but the nature of that craft is much different than that of academics.
What advice would you give to current students with a bachelor’s degree looking to get their master’s in an adjacent field?
I absolutely encourage education as a lifetime pursuit. This is some of the best money I have spent, ever. Material possessions come and go but what you invest in yourself and your own education and character development is something that can’t be taken from you. It can only enhance your attractiveness as an employee, and hopefully, as a person, as you expand your intellectual horizons.
How has UH positively impacted you?
By offering me an opportunity of quality higher learning and at an affordable price, UH has improved my quality of life. I enjoy learning and UH makes it accessible and convenient. Not everyone would go to school for fun, and so for those who need a practical reason: I was once told that I stood out in a field of 70 job candidates because I had a Master’s degree. I am a proud UHM alumna.