STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1452

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 308

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 308, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

 

Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii

 

G.M. No. 308

MARK H. FUKUNAGA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2011,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by the nominee, and finds Mark Fukunaga to have the necessary qualifications to be appointed to the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nomination from the City and County of Honolulu's Office of the Mayor; First Hawaiian Bank; Central Pacific Bank; Punahou School; Outrigger Enterprises Group; Hawaii Children's Discovery Center; Dgm Group; Hawaii National Bank; Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce; KCAA Preschools of Hawaii; Chun, Kerr, Dodd, Beaman & Wong; and four individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

Mark Fukunaga is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Servco Pacific, Inc., a company he has been associated with in various corporate officer positions since 1988.  At Servco Pacific, Inc., Mr. Fukunaga is responsible for approximately 1,100 employees in Hawaii and Australia, and management of revenues of $650,000,000.  Prior to that, he was a Corporate Attorney with a law firm in New York.  Mr. Fukunaga is a graduate of Pomona College in California and holds a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.  In addition to his professional expertise, he is active in a wide range of professional and community organizations.  Mr. Fukunaga is a member of several corporate boards, including Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., Nippon Golden Network, and Hoku Scientific, among others.  He is also actively involved in community organizations ranging from the Children's Discovery Center, Hawaii Business Roundtable, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Salvation Army, and University of Hawaii Foundation.  In addition, he serves as a Trustee of Pomona College as a member of an investment committee that oversees a $1,300,000,000 endowment, and a Trustee of Punahou School, where he is Chair of the Finance Committee.

 

     Your Committee discussed a wide range of issues with Mr. Fukunaga, including his experiences in bringing business education to high school students, his fundraising expertise, his views on the role of sports at the University and whether sports might be expanded system wide, and how to bring about increased involvement of the community in the life of the University.  Your Committee has also reviewed Mr. Fukunaga's responses to questions regarding his motivation as a member of the Board of Regents, his goals and priorities for the University, his views on the University presidential selection process, his suggestions for dealing with the unprecedented budget crisis, and his views on the current ten-campus University of Hawaii System.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

 

 

 

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair