Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 7, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of:

begs leave to report as follows:

Upon review of the background information submitted by the nominee, your Committee finds that Sandra Lee Kunimoto has more than twenty years of experience and education in the agriculture industry. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley in the Biology of Natural Resources. While a research associate at the University of Hawaii's Department of Horticulture, she earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii College of Business. She has worked in California and Japan, as well as Hawaii, as a consultant, researcher, and research supervisor for national and international agricultural businesses. Ms. Kunimoto has worked as the General Manager of the Maui Farmers' Cooperative Exchange, Vice President of Hawaiian Foliage and Landscape, Director of Marketing and Business Development for the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and as Administrator of the Business Development and Marketing Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Testimony in support of the nominee was submitted to your Committee by: the Department of Agriculture; Quality Assurance Division, Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Hawaiian Alliance for Responsible Technology and Science; Hawaiian Tropical Products; Hawaii Island Economic Development Board; Hawaii Forest Industry Association; Kilauea Agronomics, LLC; Kauai County Farm Bureau; East Kauai Water Users' Cooperative; Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.; Grove Farm Company, Inc.; Gay and Robinson, Inc.; Maui County Farm Bureau; Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company; Maui Pineapple Company, Ltd.; Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Enterprise Honolulu; Hawaii Farm Bureau; Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii; Palani Ranch Company, Inc.; Hawaii Aquaculture Association; Nalo Farms; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii; U.S. Small Business Administration; Hawaii Business Roundtable; Hawaii Fresh Milk Industry; Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.; Castle and Cooke Land Company; and twenty-one private individuals.

Your Committee members diligently questioned the nominee regarding her administrative qualifications, her vision and priorities for the Department of Agriculture, and related policy issues presently before the Legislature. Your Committee finds that the nominee comes with a very strong educational and professional background in the agricultural sector. The range of her agricultural experience provides a broad understanding of the various segments of a diverse industry and facilitates her exceptional team-building skills. Ms. Kunimoto seeks to help the Department of Agriculture expand opportunities for marketing local products by addressing technological trade barriers and facilitating business, create a world-class farmers' market where Hawaii's unique products can be showcased, keep local farmers competitive in a consumer-driven market by focusing on food safety, and maintain the agriculture loan program to provide financial assistance to allow viable enterprises to grow.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, character, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.