SSCR1331

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1331

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 577, 578, 579

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 577, 578, and 579, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation

G.M. No. 577

LETITIA UYEHARA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2012;

G.M. No. 578

SCOTT E. ENRIGHT,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015; and

G.M. No. 579

ALAN T. TAKEMOTO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Letitia Uyehara, Scott E. Enright, and Alan T. Takemoto, to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Letitia Uyehara from the Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Pahio Development, Inc.; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; Alluvion, Inc.; Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; W.H. Shipman, Limited; ILWU Local 142; Mikilua Poultry Farm, Inc.; Nalo Farms; Kauai County Farm Bureau; and five individuals.

Ms. Uyehara is currently the Director of Marketing and Special Programs for Armstrong Produce Ltd. She is a former Deputy Director and Communications Officer of the Department of Agriculture. Ms. Uyehara also served at the Department of Health as a Public Participation Officer and Hearings Officer for the Environmental Protection and Health Services Division. She then went on to become the Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control.

Ms. Uyehara is a valued leader in Hawaii's agricultural industry and is well respected for her years of public service. She is extremely well versed in food safety issues. As Director of Marketing for Armstrong Produce, Ms. Uyehara was instrumental in making Armstrong Produce one of the first wholesalers to be food safety certified in Hawaii. She also helped to establish a farmer outreach program, along with the University of Hawaii, to inform and assist farmers in practicing good sanitation in their fields and packing areas to achieve greater food safety.

Ms. Uyehara's overall vision for the Agribusiness Development Corporation is to make agriculture a priority in Hawaii by establishing clear priorities for the Corporation and creating partnerships with the private sector to promote innovative agricultural projects.

Ms. Uyehara's understanding and knowledge of agriculture, garnered from her years of government and private sector experience, make her an ideal candidate to serve on the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Scott E. Enright from the Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; Island Naturals; Volcano Island Honey Company, LLC; ITC Water Management, Inc.; Hamakua North Hilo Agricultural Cooperative; ILWU Local 142; Democratic Party of Hawaii – Hawaii County Committee; Kauai County Farm Bureau; and ten individuals.

Mr. Enright started his agricultural career in the 1980s conducting biomass research on Molokai. He then went on to work for Hamakua Sugar Company, ultimately working as the company's Cultivation and Irrigation Superintendent during its final years of operation. When Hamakua Sugar closed its doors in 1996, Mr. Enright was a founding member of the O‘okala Community Association which provided leadership to the community during that difficult time. He was also instrumental in developing a communal process to advocate for former sugar workers and others in the community.

Mr. Enright currently serves as Chair-Elect of the Environmental Management Commission of the County of Hawaii and as a Board member of the Hilo-Hamakua Community Development Corporation Board.

Mr. Enright has a comprehensive understanding of agricultural business and economics in Hawaii. He has a strong working knowledge of sustainable, multi-use agricultural models that encompass crop diversity, livestock management, forestry, waste‑to-energy, and affordable worker housing.

Mr. Enright expressed to your Committee that the Agribusiness Development Corporation has the potential to provide the leadership necessary to support entrepreneurial farming ventures and agricultural innovation to improve food security and sustainability in the State.

Mr. Enright's diverse experience and proven leadership abilities make him a valuable asset to the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Alan T. Takemoto from the Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawaii Cattlemen's Association; Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; Kauai County Farm Bureau; Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association; W.H. Shipman, Limited; Maui County Farm Bureau; Mikilua Poultry Farm, Inc.; Nalo Farms; Joy Gold Unlimited; Oahu Farm Bureau; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Matsuda-Fukuyama Farms, Inc.; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; and five individuals.

Mr. Takemoto has a wide range of experience in the agricultural industry. He currently serves as the Community Affairs Manager for Monsanto Company where he is responsible for community outreach efforts. He is also responsible for monitoring legislation that affects the company's operations. For sixteen years, Mr. Takemoto worked in various capacities for the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, ultimately serving as its Executive Director for four years.

Mr. Takemoto has also served as a member of the City and County of Honolulu's Agricultural Development Task Force, City and County of Honolulu Clean Water and Natural Lands Commission, and the Board of Advisors of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agricultural and Human Resources.

Mr. Takemoto's vision for the Agribusiness Development Corporation is for the Corporation to be more proactive in addressing issues and projects that will create a more viable agricultural industry in the State. Mr. Takemoto believes the Corporation should expand its activities and efforts in all sectors of the agricultural industry and focus on business development and making more lands available to farmers.

Mr. Takemoto's extensive experience and dedication to the agricultural industry will serve him well as a Board member of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

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

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair