STAND. COM. REP. NO. 463

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 514

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 514, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

 

Comptroller of the Department of Accounting and General Services

 

G.M. No. 514

BRUCE A. COPPA,

for a term to expire December 1, 2014,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Bruce A. Coppa from Governor Neil Abercrombie; Department of Accounting and General Services; Campaign Spending Commission of the State of Hawaii; University of Hawai‘i Foundation; Hawaii Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust; United Public Workers; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 50; Young Brothers; Radcliffe & Associates, LLC; Cockett Communications Inc.; The Gas Company; Hawaii Laborers' Union; Swinerton Builders; Crumpton & Hansen; MW Group, Ltd.; DTRIC Insurance Company, Limited; Honolulu Star-Advertiser; dck pacific construction, LLC; Filipino-American-Multi-Ethnic-Society; Akimeka, LLC; Hawaii Employers' Mutual Insurance Company, Inc.; Hiki No CC; Lyle S. Hosada & Associates, LLC; Imanaka Kudo & Fujimoto; Grace Pacific Corporation; Mid Pacific Petroleum; Castle & Cooke Hawaii; March of Dimes – Hawaii Chapter; YMCA of Honolulu; Wilson Okamoto Corporation; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Kiewit Building Group; The Limtiaco Company; Venturesphere; The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Central Pacific Bank; Lo‘ihi Communications; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; and twenty-two individuals.

 

     Bruce A. Coppa is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Coppa Consulting, Inc., a management consulting firm in Honolulu.  Previously, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Communications Pacific from May 2005 to July 2010.  Mr. Coppa has served, among other positions, as Vice Chairman of The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Trustee of the University of Hawaii Foundation, Chairman of the March of Dimes Hawaii, and Board Director of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.  The nominee was also the Executive Director of The Pacific Resource Partnership from 1993 to 2004.  Prior to that, he was the Vice President of Operations, Marketing, and Planning for E.E. Black Limited for seven years.  Mr. Coppa is active in community and professional organizations.  The nominee received a Masters in Business Administration in Global Management and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

 

     Your Committee believes that the nominee, with over twenty‑five years of diverse business background and managerial experience, possesses the qualifications to serve as the Comptroller and lead the Department of Accounting and General Services.  More particularly, his invaluable contacts with construction industry management and labor will serve him well in the numerous state construction contracts overseen by the Department.  Testifiers commented on Mr. Coppa's approachable managerial style, proactive approach to resolving issues, and ability to engage his employees – qualities that will benefit the Department as it strives to fulfill its mandates despite staffing and funding shortages.

 

     Your Committee notes from the nominee's personal statement that his vision for the Department of Accounting and General Services is to enable the Department to provide quality service with reliability, flexibility, responsiveness, and innovation.  He will accomplish this by creating an enriching environment of trust, cooperation, and mutual respect among employees and with customers.  Mr. Coppa's highest priority is to commence, complete, and implement long-range information technology upgrades to the Information and Communication Services Division, including hiring a chief information technology officer and completing an information technology strategic plan by 2013.  Mr. Coppa also plans to renovate and restore state buildings that are unoccupied, for example, the Kamamalu Building that has been empty for eight years, in order to move back in state employees who now occupy leased space elsewhere and incur an unnecessary cost for the State.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs 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 Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair