STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3474

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 644

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 644, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

Commission on the Status of Women

G.M. No. 644

AMY MONK, for a term to expire 6-30-2018,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by the nominee and finds Amy Monk to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Commission on the Status of Women.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Amy Monk from the Department of Human Services, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Patsy T. Mink Political Action Committee, Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus, Hawaii Women's Coalition, and three individuals.

     Ms. Monk obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English Literature from the University of Hawaii.  She had a notable career with the Foreign Service of the United States Department of State from 1978 to 2005.  As a Management Officer, she performed regional contract solicitation and negotiation in Japan, where she supervised foreign national professionals, managed Asia and Pacific embassy property, and performed crisis management and emergency planning.  She previously served as a Human Resources Officer, where her duties included classifying positions, recruiting, performing personnel problem solving, negotiation, and applying federal regulation and foreign labor law.  She also acted as a Political and Public Diplomacy Officer, where she analyzed and reported developments in United States-Japan bilateral relations, monitored Russian media, and produced media products for use overseas.

     Ms. Monk has also performed extensive community service, serving as a Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board member, an AARP Foundation Tax Aide, and a Board Member with Planned Parenthood of Hawaii.  She also served as the Vice Chair of the Oahu County Community Democratic Party of Hawaii, as the District Chair of the Hawaii Kai Democratic Party, as a member of the Patsy T. Mink Political Action Committee, and with the Women's Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

     Testimony in support of the nominee indicates that Ms. Monk is committed to advancing the status of girls and women in Hawaii.  For example, during her first term with the Commission on the Status of Women, she highlighted the serious issue of sexual violence against female students at the University of Hawaii and helped organize a working group to provide input for University campus policies on sexual assault, campus violence, and student safety.  Furthermore, she met with University officials to educate them on the new reporting requirements of Title IX, the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, and the Clery Act.  Ms. Monk's extensive professional foreign service experience brings an international perspective to the Commission on the Status of Women, and her community service and advocacy for issues concerning women will be valuable assets to the Commission.

     Accordingly, based on the testimony submitted, your Committee finds that Amy Monk is exceptionally qualified to continue to serve on the Commission on the Status of Women.  The nominee's professional experience will serve the Commission and public well.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor 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 Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair