STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1656

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 724, 725, 726, 727

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 724, 725, 726, and 727, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Board of Directors of the Hawai'i Housing Finance and Development Corporation

 

G.M. No. 724

EDWIN S. TAIRA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2017;

 

G.M. No. 725

RONA S.Y. FUKUMOTO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2017;

 

G.M. No. 726

AUDREY ABE,

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

 

G.M. No. 727

MELVIN Y.C. KAHELE,

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 Edwin S. Taira, Rona S.Y. Fukumoto, Audrey Abe, and Melvin Y.C. Kahele to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

 


EDWIN S. TAIRA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Edwin S. Taira from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors; Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation; and seven individuals.

 

     Mr. Taira currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.  In the past, he managed the Office of Housing and Community Development in Hawaii County, serving Hawaii County in different professional roles for a total of thirty-three years of service.  He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  He also has served on private non-profit boards, including the Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corporation and Rental Housing Trust Fund Commission.

 

     Mr. Taira indicated in his personal statement that he believes his institutional knowledge on housing finance and development can benefit the State.

 

     Your Committee finds that Mr. Taira's past experiences in housing development, as well as his proven leadership abilities, will be great assets to the Board.

 

RONA S.Y. FUKUMOTO

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Rona S.Y. Fukumoto from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors; Catholic Charities Hawaii; and three individuals.

 

     Ms. Fukumoto is currently the Housing Assistance and Referral Programs Division Administrator for Catholic Charities Hawaii, where she supervises staff through case review, program planning, and management; develops policies, procedures, and protocols to carry out the activities of the agency and division; and secures federal, state, county, and private grants and contracts to support the agency and division related to housing services, employment, and financial assistance grants.  She earned a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She also serves as a Board Member for the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation, as well as a Council Member on the Department of Human Services Financial Assistance Advisory Council.

 

     Ms. Fukumoto indicated in her personal statement that she is dedicated to participating in all facets of the solution to end homelessness, hoping to bridge service providers and housing development to meet the needs of the community.

 

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Fukumoto's past experience related to homelessness issues, as well as her continuing commitment to finding affordable housing solutions for Hawaii residents, will be great assets to the Board.

 

AUDREY ABE

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Audrey Abe from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors; and two individuals.

 

     Ms. Abe is currently a Certified Public Accountant and Certified General Appraiser with extensive experience in appraising residential and commercial property.  She earned a Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University.  She is also an interim member of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and served as a Board Member of the Hawaii State Board of Taxation Review.

 

     Ms. Abe indicated in her personal statement that she recognizes that affordable housing can be challenging for many Hawaii residents and hopes to find solutions for more affordable housing and elderly housing for Hawaii residents.

 

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Abe's past experience in real estate consultation, as well as her passion for finding more affordable housing solutions, will be great assets to the Board.

 

MELVIN Y.C. KAHELE

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Melvin Y.C. Kahele from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors and three individuals.

 

     Mr. Kahele is currently the Legislative Lobbyist for the Ironworkers Union, Local 625, which represents about seven hundred members.  In the past, he served as President for the Teamsters Union, Local 996, handling many complex contract negotiations.  He is also a graduate of the Center of Labor Education and Research at the University of Hawaii.

 

     Mr. Kahele indicated in his personal statement that he hopes to see more of Hawaii's middle- and low-income families live in affordable housing and use his experience as a decision-maker and negotiator to ensure that state funding is properly used to increase the affordable housing inventory.

 

     Your Committee finds that Mr. Kahele's past experience in financial affairs and negotiation, as well as his passion for increasing accessibility of affordable housing to local families, will be great assets to the Board.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing 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 Human Services and Housing,

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair