REPORT FROM THE HTA – HONOLULU, HAWAII – Governor Neil Abercrombie today made more nominations to several boards and commissions including the Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA) and the Land Use Commission.
The nominations to fill seven seats on the HTA are:
Jack Corteway is nominated to an At-Large seat. Mr. Corteway is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Aloha Vacation Club. In 2010, he received a certificate of excellence by the City and County of Honolulu for business excellence and dedication to serving the tourism industry. He is a former President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Honolulu.
Victor Kimura is nominated to an At-Large seat from a list provided by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr. Kimura is the Vice President, Director of Operations Support at Kyoya Management Co. Ltd. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2011 City and County of Honolulu Laulima Award for Community Contribution. He has worked in the hotel industry since 1974.
Michael Kobayashi is nominated to an At-Large seat from a list provided by the President of the Senate. Mr. Kobayashi is the Vice President of Tropical Island Creations, Inc. A former President of the Polynesian Hospitality, his involvement and employment in the travel and hospitality industries date back to 1969.
Aaron Sala is nominated to an At-Large seat from a list provided by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Hawai’i state law requires a member of the authority to have expertise in Hawaiian cultural practices, Mr. Sala fulfills this requirement. Mr. Sala is a music and Hawaiian studies instructor at Windward Community College and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. He is also the music director at Disney’s ‘Aulani Resort. An accomplished vocalist and musician, Mr. Sala has received numerous awards including the Na Hoku Hanohano Award.
Lorrie Stone is nominated to an At-Large seat from a list provided by the President of the Senate. She is the principal attorney at law at her own law firm, Lorrie Lee Stone, Attorney at Law, LLLC, where she emphasizes on land use and development. Ms. Stone previously served on the HTA from 2000 to 2004.
Ronald Williams is nominated to an At-Large seat from a list provided by the President of the Senate. He is the current HTA board president. Mr. Williams is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlantis Adventures, LLC. He has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality, rental car and activities businesses.
David Rae is nominated to an At-Large seat. Mr. Rae is the senior Vice President for ‘Aina Nui Corp and Kapolei Property Development. His career in the land use planning and development date back to 1979. He is currently the president of the Land Use Research Foundation.
The nomination to fill a four-year term, At-Large seat on the Land Use Commission is Lance Inouye, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. Prior to his position he was a deputy attorney general for the State of Hawai’i followed by an associate attorney position for Tamotsu Tanaka, Attorney at Law. Mr. Inouye will be replacing Normand Lezy whose term expires June 30, 2012.
These nominations require Senate confirmation. Governor Abercrombie has nominated over 380 individuals to various boards and commissions. The Office of the Governor oversees more than 160 boards and commissions established by the state constitution, statutes or executive orders. Currently there are about 100 vacancies on numerous boards and commissions. Terms that end on June 30, 2012 will create another 100 vacancies.
Interested individuals who are looking to serve the public may consider service on a board or commission. More information, including a complete list of vacancies and application instructions, is posted at https://hawaii.gov/gov/about/boards-commissions.html