STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3471

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 784, 785, 786, 787, 788

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 784, 785, 786, 787, and 788, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Environmental Council

 

G.M. No. 784

MARK AMBLER,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 785

KOALANI KAULUKUKUI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 786

AZITA QUON,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 787

JOHN RICHARDS,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016; and

 

G.M. No. 788

GLENN TEVES,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Mark Ambler, Koalani Kaulukukui, Azita Quon, John Richards, and Glenn Teves to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Environmental Council.


MARK AMBLER

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Mark Ambler from the Office of Environmental Quality Control; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; S&M Sakamoto, Inc.; Weston Solutions, Inc.; Hawaii Solar Energy Association; Grace Pacific Corporation; King & Neel, Inc.; and five individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that Mr. Ambler is a Senior Project Engineer at Weston Solutions, Inc., and a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Hawaii.  The nominee also has a Project Management Professional certification.  Mr. Ambler was formerly a Project Manager at Clean Air Engineering, Inc., and received his engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

 

     Mr. Ambler has supported and championed implementation of sustainable concepts such as Green Roofs and Green Remediation in Hawaii and has shared those positive examples across the country.  In his professional capacity, Mr. Ambler served as an environmental engineer and consultant to a resort development that implemented Hawaii's first large commercial Green Roof project.

 

KOALANI KAULUKUKUI

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Koalani Kaulukukui from the Office of Environmental Quality Control; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; The Trust for Public Land; Earth Corps, Hawaiian Hui; Hookipa Network - Kauai; Conservation Council for Hawaii; Mauna Kea Anaina Hou; and thirty-four individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Kaulukukui is a land management specialist at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Hawaii.  The nominee has also worked for the Department of Land and Natural Resources; United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX; and the non‑profit environmental law firm EarthJustice.  As a policy advocate at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in 2006, the nominee reviewed and commented on environmental assessments and environmental impacts statements.

 

     Ms. Kaulukukui received her Juris Doctorate with a Certificate in Environmental Law from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.  During her spare time, the nominee serves on the boards of two local non-profit organizations dedicated to the natural and cultural resources of Hawaii and on the state Forest Stewardship Advisory Committee.

 

AZITA QUON

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Azita Quon from the Office of Environmental Quality Control, United Association of Plumbers and Fitters Local 675, Mikiko Corporation, and eight individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Quon is a registered architect in the State of Hawaii and holds a certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  The nominee has a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from the University of Oregon.  Ms. Quon has worked for the firms of Wimberly, Allison, Tong, and Goo, Inc., and Architects Hawaii, Ltd., in her twenty-five year career as an architect and planner in Hawaii.

 

     Most recently, Ms. Quon has worked on the master planning to accommodate the redeployment of United States Marines from Okinawa to Guam.  As a result of this experience, the nominee gained a deeper understanding of the federal environmental review process.   The nominee has also implemented sustainable architectural approaches in the Lanikea complex, the Moana Pacific, and a number of resorts.

 

JOHN RICHARDS

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of John Richards from the Office of Environmental Quality Control, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that Mr. Richards is a rancher from Hawaii County.  He is currently a partner in Waimea Water Services, LLC, and was formerly the Operations Manager at Kahua Ranch Limited for twelve years.  His previous experience includes five years of service in the United States Army, which comprised experience as a Platoon Leader and Operations Officer.  Mr. Richards holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Washington State University and has received various infantry-related training from the United States Army.

 

     Mr. Richards is seeking a reappointment to the Environmental Council.  The nominee's first four-year term on the Environmental Council expires on June 30, 2012.  During his first term, Mr. Richards proved himself to be a reliable, thoughtful, and valuable contributing member of the Environmental Council.

 

GLENN TEVES

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Glenn Teves from the Office of Environmental Quality Control, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii's Thousand Friends, Hawaii Land Restoration Institute, Conservation Council for Hawaii, The Kohala Center, and fifteen individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the nominee is employed by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources as a County Extension Agent on the island of Molokai.  Mr. Teves is a graduate of public schools, Kamehameha Schools, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he studied ethnobotany, entomology, the Hawaiian environment, plant pathology, and plant breeding.  The nominee also serves as Farm Coordinator for the Mamalahoa Project in Waimanalo.

 

     Mr. Teves is descended from a family of ranchers.  He is committed to environmental issues as demonstrated through his scholarship on taro and lei plants and his service as an expert witness in contested case proceedings.  Mr. Teves has lived on the island of Molokai for the last thirty years, where he farms Hawaiian homelands, raising apple bananas and taro.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment 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 Energy and Environment,

 

 

 

____________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair