SSCR1281

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1281

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 587, 588

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

Your Committee on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 587 and 588, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

Island Burial Council, Island of O'ahu

G.M. No. 587

DANNA HOLCK,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016; and

G.M. No. 588

KALI FERMANTEZ,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Danna Holck and Kali Fermantez to possess the requisite commitment, sincerity, dedication, and qualifications to be nominated to the Island Burial Council for the Island of Oahu.

DANNA HOLCK

Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Oahu Island Burial Council, Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku Medical Center, Ku‘iwalu, Kanalu K38, Polynesian Cultural Center, and fifteen individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this nominee from Keep the County Country, Inc.; Ko‘olauloa Hawaiian Civic Club; Ilio Ulaokalani Coalition; and numerous individuals.

Ms. Holck earned a degree from the College of Travel Industry Management at the University of Hawaii. She has considerable experience in the hotel industry and has excelled in senior leadership positions at hotels and resorts across the country. After two decades away from Hawaii, she recently returned to Hawaii to become the General Manager at Turtle Bay Resort where she has already succeeded in creating a more culturally sensitive environment at the hotel and establishing a sense of cultural pride in the hotel staff. Your Committee noted concerns about the nominee's ability to make decisions regarding iwi kupuna if a conflict of interest developed between the Council and her employer. As an interim member of the Council, however, she has proven to be fair and unbiased in her capacity as a large landowner representative and has greatly assisted the Council in navigating difficult issues. As a Native Hawaiian, Ms. Holck appreciates the significance of iwi kupuna and is committed to their respectful treatment.

KALI FERMANTEZ

Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this nominee from numerous individuals.

Dr. Fermantez earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in Geography from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a dissertation titled Re-Placing Hawaiians: Sense of Place and Identity in Wai‘anae. He is currently an assistant professor at Brigham Young University in the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Studies departments. Prior to his current position, he taught at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Honolulu Community College. He is involved in various community organizations, including Ko‘olauloa Hawaiian Civic Club, Na Leo Kako‘o o Ko‘olauloa, Kula Kaiapuni o Hau‘ula, and Halau Hula Kukuna O Ka La.

Dr. Fermantez has been serving on the Island Burial Council for the Island of Oahu on an interim basis for the last few months and considers caring for the iwi kupuna a heavy responsibility. He is passionate about finding a balance between traditional culture and the modern context and looks forwarding to addressing these challenges further on the Council. Dr. Fermantez has dedicated his life's work to the care and perpetuation of Hawaii's culture, people, values, traditions, and history and is uniquely qualified to serve on the Island Burial Council for the Island of Oahu.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs 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 Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

BRICKWOOD GALUTERIA, Chair