STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1663

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, 684

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, and 684, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

State Council on Developmental Disabilities

 

G.M. No. 675

NATALIE KAMA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2018;

 

G.M. No. 676

LIZA T.H. YOGI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2018;

 

G.M. No. 677

TIMOTHY RENKEN,

for a term to expire 6-30-2019;

 

G.M. No. 678

AARON KEMP,

for a term to expire 6-30-2019;

 

G.M. No. 679

SANTO TRIOLO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2019;

 

G.M. No. 680

ALBERT PEREZ,

for a term to expire 6-30-2019;

 

G.M. No. 681

JEFFREY OKAMOTO, MD,

for a term to expire 6-30-2019;

 

G.M. No. 682

JOSEPHINE WOLL,

for a term to expire 6-30-2018; and

 

G.M. No. 684

RICKY SHIMOKAWA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2018,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Natalie Kama, Liza T.H. Yogi, Timothy Renken, Aaron Kemp, Santo Triolo, Albert Perez, Jeffrey Okamoto, Josephine Woll, and Ricky Shimokawa to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 

NATALIE KAMA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Natalie Kama from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 

     Ms. Kama is the Pastor, President, and Administrator of The Christian Ministry Church, where she conducts religious worship services and ensures the fiscal and operational management of the church.  Her first involvement with the Council was through the Partners in Policymaking Leadership Academy Training, which educates participants to be active partners with those who make policy, and provides training in current disability issues and best practices.  Your Committee finds that Ms. Kama's past experiences with the Council, as well as her positive attitude and enthusiasm, will be great assets to the Council.

 

LIZA T.H. YOGI

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Liza T.H. Yogi from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and two individuals.

 

     Ms. Yogi has been highly involved in her community, organizing events for the benefit of community members and organizing fundraisers for the Respite of Family Caregivers.  Her past experiences involve restaurant and business management, as well as real estate.  Ms. Yogi has been involved with the Council's activities through attendance at East Hawaii Council meetings and the Council's Day at the Capitol event.  Your Committee finds that Ms. Yogi's past experiences with the Council, as well as her unique perspective as a parent and legal guardian of a child with a developmental disability, will be great assets to the Council.

 

TIMOTHY RENKEN

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Timothy Renken from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, and four individuals.

 

     Mr. Renken is currently the Community Outreach Chair for the Hawaii Self-Advocacy Advisory Council, where he is responsible for assisting in the coordination of events, such as the Children and Youth Fair and Developmental Disabilities Council's Day at the Capitol.  He also is an Administrative Assistant at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Disability Studies, preparing training materials for the Feeling Safe, Being Safe Hawaii training sessions.  Your Committee finds that Mr. Renken's past leadership experiences, as well as his continuing passion to help individuals with developmental and other disabilities, will be great assets to the Council.

 

AARON KEMP

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Aaron Kemp from State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 

     Mr. Kemp was appointed to the Council in 2010 and has served in many capacities, such as the Co-Chair of the Maui Developmental Disabilities Committee, Co-Chair of the Developmental Disabilities Council Employment Committee, and Co-Chair of the Maui Self-Advocacy Group.  He is currently the Secretary for the Council, taking minutes at meetings and assuming other leadership responsibilities.  Your Committee finds that Mr. Kemp's past committee experience, as well as his involvement with the many aspects of the Council, will continue to be great assets to the Council.

 

SANTO TRIOLO

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Santo Triolo from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 

     Dr. Triolo is a Clinical Psychologist at Aloha Psychological Services, serving children, adolescents, adults, and families through services related to psychotherapy.  He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Family Relations and Human Development/Developmental Psychology from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan.  He has also published numerous papers related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in adults and is an accomplished professor and researcher.  Your Committee finds that Dr. Triolo's past experiences in the field of psychology, as well as his willingness to serve individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, will be great assets to the Council.

 

ALBERT PEREZ

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Albert Perez from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 

     Mr. Perez is the Division Administrator of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Department of Human Services, where he is responsible for vocational rehabilitation services to qualified individuals with disabilities seeking competitive employment.  He has been serving on the Council since April 2014 and prior to this he was actively involved in committees related to employment for individuals with developmental disabilities, initiating collaborative approaches with the Department of Education and Developmental Disabilities Division to increase employment opportunities and outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Your Committee finds that Mr. Perez's ability to facilitate partnerships with other State and private agencies to promote more employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities will continue to be a great asset to the Council.

 

JEFFREY OKAMOTO

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Jeffrey Okamoto from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Family Voices of Hawaii, and three individuals.

 

     Dr. Okamoto is currently the Medical Director of the Developmental Disabilities Division for the Department of Health.  He is also a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Subspecialist at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  He earned a Doctor of Medicine from the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  He also serves on the National Executive Committee Council on School Health for the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Dr. Okamoto was served on the Council since November 2011.  Your Committee finds that Dr. Okamoto's background in general and developmental-behavioral pediatrics, as well as his continuing commitment to serving the community, will continue to be great assets to the Council.

 

JOSEPHINE WOLL

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Josephine Woll from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Family Voices of Hawaii, and two individuals.

 

     Ms. Woll has extensive experience in early intervention services as a past Director of Sultan Easter Seal School.  She is a graduate of St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing and has served in the past as a Contractor for the Center for Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Ms. Woll has served on the Council since July 2011, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Council.  Your Committee finds that Ms. Woll's past experiences in early childhood development, as well as her proven leadership record, will continue to be great assets to the Council.

 

RICKY SHIMOKAWA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Ricky Shimokawa from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 

     Mr. Shimokawa is an Educational Specialist for the Department of Education, where he provides school administrators and district personnel with technical assistance on special education concerns.  He earned a Masters in Education from Chaminade University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  He has extensive experiences in public education, serving as a Vice Principal at various schools.  Your Committee finds that Mr. Shimokawa's past experiences in education, as well as his ability to facilitate collaboration between the Council and the Department of Education, will be great assets to the Council.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Health 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 Health,

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair