STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3130

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 229, 230, 231, 305, 353

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 229, 230, 231, 305, and 353, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Board of Directors of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority

 

G.M. No. 229

KELVIN M. BLOOM,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 230

PATRICIA ANN EWING,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 231

CHARLENE "CHA" MAE KU'UPUAALA THOMPSON,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 305

VERNON FOOK LEONG CHAR,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014; and

 

G.M. No. 353

PATRICK K. FITZGERALD,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees, and finds the nominees to have the necessary qualifications to be appointed to the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

 

     Testimony in support of Kelvin M. Bloom was submitted by the Office of the Governor Tourism Liaison, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Kauai Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association, Waimea Plantation Cottages Kauai, Marriot Maui Ocean Club Resort, Marathon Group LLC, and Canaan Construction LTD.

 

     Kelvin M. Bloom is President of Aston Hotels & Resorts, LLC, where he is responsible for oversight of all aspects of the company and the interests of Maui Condo and Home, LLC.  Before joining Aston, he was founding President of Castle Resorts & Hotels and Chief Operating Officer of The Castle Group, and has over thirty years of leadership positions in the hotel and condominium resort industry in Hawaii, the United States, and Mexico.  Mr. Bloom is active in professional and civic organizations, is a Board Member of Pacific Rim Bank and Hawaii Pacific University TIM Advisory Council, and was recognized as an industry "Brand Leader" in 2001 by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.  He is an at-large member and is a reappointment to the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, where he is Chair of the Board.

 

     Testimony in support of Patricia Ann Ewing was submitted by the Office of the Governor Tourism Liaison, Banana Patch Studios, and one individual.

 

     Patricia Ann Ewing is the Owner of the Kong Lung Trading Company and E. Wing, Ltd., dba Kong Lung Market Center, where she is responsible for all aspects of both the retail store and the eleven-tenant shopping and dining complex where the store is located.  She is a graduate of the University of California at Long Beach and has over forty years of experience as a small business owner in various tourism related companies on Kauai, in property management, and as a teacher in Kauai and California.  Ms. Ewing is an active member of professional and community organizations, including the Kauai North Shore Business Council, Hawaii International Film Festival/Kauai, and Kalihiwai Ridge Community Association.  She serves as the Kauai representative and is a reappointment to the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, where she has served on numerous committees.

 

     Testimony in support of Charlene "Cha" Mae Kuupuaala Thompson was submitted by the Office of the Governor Tourism Liaison, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, Kauai Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association, Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa, Waimea Plantation Cottages Kauai, and Marriot Maui Ocean Club Resort.

 

     Charlene "Cha" Mae Kuupuaala Thompson is co-owner of Tihati Productions, an entertainment business she founded with her husband in 1969; a company that has grown from a cast of six to over 1,000 employees, including musicians, singers, dancers, and choreographers from every Polynesian island group.  In her forty years of choreographic and presentation work, she has performed throughout the Pacific islands and most recently was invited to perform at the White House for President and First Lady Obama.  Ms. Thompson has served on numerous boards and commissions during her long and distinguished career and is familiar with all facets of the tourism and hospitality industries in Hawaii and the Pacific.  She serves as the Oahu representative and is a reappointment to the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, where she is active in the Board's marketing activities and responsibilities.

 

     Testimony in support of Vernon Fook Leong Char was submitted by the Office of the Governor Tourism Liaison and the Managing Director of the City and County of Honolulu.

 

     Vernon Fook Leong Char is founder of the law firm Char Sakamoto Ishii Lum & Ching, where he has represented local, national, and international clients since the firm's founding in 1989.  He is a graduate of the University of Hawaii, holds a law degree from Harvard Law School, and has decades of legal experience, including numerous clients in Hawaii's tourism and hospitality industries.  Mr. Char has served as President of the Hawaii State Bar Association, as a member of the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, and was a founding member of the University of Hawaii Alumni Association and was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1991.  He serves as an at-large member and is a reappointment to the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, where he is Chair of the Budget and Audit Standing Committee.

 

     Testimony in support of Patrick K. Fitzgerald was submitted by the Office of the Governor Tourism Liaison, County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development, Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, Mauna Lani Resort, Mauna Kea Resort, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, The Fairmont Orchid, Kona Village, Hokulia, Four Seasons Resort, Watanabe Ing LLP, Sheila Donnelly & Associates LLC, Huehue Ventures LLC, Bert Kobayashi Group LLC, and one individual.

 

     Patrick K. Fitzgerald is Chief Executive Officer/President of Hualani Resort/Kona Village Resort, where he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of asset management, real estate development, real estate sales and marketing, and resort operations.  Prior to joining the resort in 2005, he was President/Managing Director of Ocean Colony Partners, L.P., in Half Moon Bay, California, and has over twenty-five years in real estate and resort development experience.  He is a graduate of Fordham University, New York, with a B.S. in Accounting and holds an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University.  He is active in professional and community organizations, and serves as President of the Kohala Coast Resort Association and as a Member of the Board of Directors of Parker School and Hualalai Ohana Foundation.  Mr. Fitzgerald is a new appointment to the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

 

     Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair