SSCR1655

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1655

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NO. 504

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 504, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of:

Deputy Director Of The Department Of Budget And Finance

G.M. No. 504

LAUREL JOHNSTON,

for a term to expire 12-03-2018,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee reviewed the personal statement and resume submitted by the nominee and finds Laurel Johnston to have the necessary qualifications to serve as the Deputy Director of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee received comments in support of the nomination of Ms. Johnston as Deputy Director of Budget and Finance from David Y. Ige, Governor; Wesley Machida, Director of Finance, and two administrators, Department of Budget and Finance; Thomas Williams, Executive Director, Employees' Retirement System, Department of Budget and Finance; Maria Zielinski, Director, Department of Taxation; Roderick Becker, Comptroller, Department of Accounting and General Services; Todd Nacapuy, Chief Information Officer, Office of Enterprise Technology Services, Department of Accounting and General Services; Sarah Allen, Administrator, State Procurement Office, Department of Accounting and General Services; Luis Salaveria, Director, and Mary Alice Evans, Deputy Director, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Suzanne D. Case, Chairperson, Board of Land and Natural Resources; Pankaj Bhanot, Director, Department of Human Services; James Nishimoto, Director, Department of Human Resources Development; Jo Ann Uchida Takeuchi, Deputy Director, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser, Deputy to the Chairperson, Board of Agriculture; Linda Chu Takayama, Director, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Major General Arthur "Joe" Logan, Adjutant General and Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense; Nolan P. Espinda, Director, Department of Public Safety; Ford Fuchigami, Director, Department of Transportation; Virginia Pressler, Director, Department of Health; Gary Slovin, Mihoko Ito, and Rick Tsujimura, SanHi Government Strategies; and eleven individuals.

Your Committee finds that, consistent with the exemplary comments received on her behalf, Deputy Director Johnston has experience successfully planning, coordinating, and managing large, complex budgets for the University of Hawaii and the Department of Education; has held various leadership positions in state government, including Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Governor; and has also distinguished herself with two decades of pertinent work experience in state government and demonstrated knowledge of budgetary operations and systems.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means 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 Ways and Means,

____________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair