STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3658

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 569

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 569, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology

G.M. No. 569

KRISTINE M. TAKEKAWA, for a term to expire 6-30-2011,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by the nominee, and finds Kristine M. Takekawa to have the necessary qualifications to be nominated to the Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology.

     Testimony in support of Ms. Takekawa's nomination was submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and two private individuals.

     Ms. Takekawa received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Whitman College and her Master of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the University of Hawaii where she later received her Certificate in Public Administration.  She currently is working on and expects to receive in May 2008, her Doctorate in Audiology from Central Michigan University through the University's distance learning program.  She currently serves as an Educational Audiologist for the Department of Education's Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind where her primary responsibility is to provide audiologic evaluations of students with hearing loss in the Department of Education, and to identify services and make these students eligible for these services.  She also provides consultation services for schools regarding accommodations for students with hearing loss, and in-service training to teachers, speech language pathologists, and other professionals who work with students with hearing loss.

     Ms. Takekawa holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and is a member of the Educational Audiology Association and the Hawaii Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  She is licensed as an Audiologist in the State and holds a license for the fitting and dispensing of hearing aids.

     Ms. Takekawa is cognizant of the recent changes to the educational requirements of the profession and would be of value to the Board as it meets the challenges posed by those changes.  She will provide thoughtful and disciplined leadership as an experienced audiologist, and her experiences have prepared her to understand complex issues and provide well-informed recommendations.  Ms. Takekawa's demonstrated commitment, motivation, education, and professional experiences will greatly assist the Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, 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.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair