STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1627

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 709, 710

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 709 and 710, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Land Use Commission

 

G.M. No. 709

DENNIS ESAKI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2017; and

 

G.M. No. 710

CAROL TORIGOE,

for a term to expire 6-30-2017,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Dennis Esaki and Carol Torigoe to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Land Use Commission.

 

DENNIS ESAKI

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Dennis Esaki from the State Land Use Commission; United States Senator Brian Schatz; United States Representative Tulsi Gabbard; Mayor of the County of Kaua‘i; Kauai Island Utility Cooperative; Tradewind Capital Group, Inc.; R & S Inc. dba CLS Land Surveying and Mapping; Kauai Island Finance Inc.; and ten individuals.

 

     Dennis Esaki received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.  He is the President of Esaki Surveying & Mapping, Inc., and is a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor and Land Court Surveyor.  The nominee is a partner in Kauai Farm Fuel, LLC, which processes used vegetable oil.  He is the Chairman Emeritus and a Founding Director of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative.  Mr. Esaki serves as a Director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and was on the Kokee State Park Advisory Council.  As a prominent member of the Kauai community, Governor Abercrombie and Mayor Carvalho designated by proclamation Dennis Esaki Day on May 31, 2012.

 

     Your Committee notes from the nominee's personal statement that he can bring together different factions for the common goal by working together to balance growth and respect for the land.  His mission is to contribute to making the right decisions with regard to land use in Hawaii for the right reasons, resulting in preserving the land for future generations.

 

CAROL TORIGOE

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Carol Torigoe from the State Land Use Commission; SSFM International; KYA Design Group; DFS Group, L.P.; and four individuals.

 

     Carol Torigoe received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and is a Registered Architect in Hawaii.  She is a member of the American Institute of Architects.  The nominee is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa School of Architecture, where she also played an integral part in the development of the Practicum Program and continues to participate in that program.

 

     Ms. Torigoe has been the Chief Executive Officer of KYA Design Group since 2012.  In her first year as CEO, KYA has become the first architectural firm in Hawaii, and third architectural firm internationally, to qualify for benefit corporation status.  A 29-year KYA veteran, Carol Torigoe has been a key player in the company's biggest transformations.  She managed the development of creative markets for KYA Design Group and oversaw the launch of a new firm under the KYA Corporation, the KYA Sustainability Studio, which is the first Global Reporting Initiative Organizational Stakeholder in Hawaii.  The Corporation's portfolio synergizes a 40-year veteran and reputable architecture firm with a new, innovative think tank/sustainability consultancy service.

 

     According to the nominee's resume, integrity, ethics, and a commitment to Hawaii are the firm's values under her leadership, and "Hawaii's people, culture, future and the social stewardess of

the ‘Aina, are keystones in the KYA Design Group's project approaches and in the KYA Sustainability Studio's mission."

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land 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 Water and Land,

 

 

 

____________________________

MALAMA SOLOMON, Chair