SSCR1503

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1503

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 311, 525

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 311 and 525, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

Board of Directors of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i

G.M. No. 311

GUY P. ONTAI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2013; and

G.M. No. 525

ROBERT D. DEWITZ,

for a term to expire 6-30-2013,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees, and finds Guy P. Ontai and Robert D. Dewitz to have the necessary qualifications to be appointed to the Board of Directors of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii.

Guy P. Ontai is Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alaka‘i Consulting and Engineering, Inc., which assists clients in research development, product employment, and marketing. Prior to founding his business, Mr. Ontai was Chief Military Technology Integration Officer for Homeland Security with the State of Hawaii Department of Defense, and has held executive positions with Pacific American Foundation and Pacific American Research Center, and taught physics at both the high school and college level for eleven years. He is a Retired United States Army Major, Corps of Engineers, and a former member of the State of Hawaii House of Representatives. Mr. Ontai is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and holds a Masters of Physics degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is active in numerous professional and community associations, including serving as Director of the Arizona Memorial Museum Association, as a member of the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, Central Oahu Lions Club, Small Business Hawaii, and Life Member of the United States Chess Federation. Mr. Ontai is a reappointment to the Board of Directors of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this nomination from the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii; Akimeka Technologies, LLC; and one individual.

Robert D. Dewitz is Chief Executive Officer and sole shareholder of Hawaii Select Investments, Inc., and wholly owned subsidiaries American Electric Co., LLC and CranePro Services, with investments in several Hawaii based advanced technology and medical research firms. He has also been a Managing Partner with Seattle Industrial Motor & Machine Company and with Pacific Defense Systems in San Diego, California, and has over thirty years of executive level experience in Hawaii and elsewhere. Mr. Dewitz is a former Director of the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation and served as an Engineering Officer in the United States Navy. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii, and is currently enrolled in the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program. Mr. Dewitz serves as Director and Executive Committee Member of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, as a member and former Director of the Navy League of the United States, and a member and former Director of Outrigger Canoe Club. Mr. Dewitz is a new appointment to the Board of Directors of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this nomination from the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii; BAE Systems Ship Repair; the Estate of James Campbell; and four individuals.

Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

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

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair