STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1811

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 626, 627, 628, 629

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 626, 627, 628, and 629, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Early Learning Board

 

G.M. No. 626

LEILANI AU,

for a term to expire 06-30-2022;

 

G.M. No. 627

MELODIE VEGA,

for a term to expire 06-30-2023;

 

G.M. No. 628

JUSTINA ACEVEDO-CROSS,

for a term to expire 06-30-2022; and

 

G.M. No. 629

CHERILYN SHIINOKI,

for a term to expire 06-30-2022,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by Leilani Au, Melodie Vega, Justina Acevedo-Cross, and Cherilyn Shiinoki for service on the Early Learning Board.

 

LEILANI AU

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Leilani Au from the Executive Office on Early Learning and one member of the Early Learning Board.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Au's background, experience, and dedication to early childhood education qualify her for appointment to the Early Learning Board.  Your Committee finds that Ms. Au is presently the Director of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Children Center, where she balances the ongoing needs of high quality education between two to five years of age, affordable child care, and providing professional development of the early learning workforce.  Ms. Au has dedicated thirty-five years to the field of early learning as an Early Childhood Specialist, Early Childhood Department Lecturer, and Professional and Career Education for Early Childhood (PACE) Trainer.  Additionally, Ms. Au's professional background as an Early Childhood Department Lecturer and Professional and Career Education for Early Childhood Trainer at Honolulu Community College allows her to understand the unique and varied needs of center-based childcare providers.

 

     As a current member of the Early Learning Board, Ms. Au represents a critical voice in decision-making in providing updates about the status of private childcare providers during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.  Therefore, your Committee finds that Leilani Au has the experience, knowledge, and desire to contribute to the community and will continue to be an asset to the Early Learning Board.

 

MELODIE VEGA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Melodie Vega from the Executive Office on Early Learning, one member of the Early Learning Board, and one individual.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Vega's background, experience, and dedication to early childhood education qualify her for appointment to the Early Learning Board.  Your Committee finds that Ms. Vega is currently the Director of Early Childhood Education Programs for the Family Child Interaction Learning (FCIL) program of Keiki O Ka ‘Āina, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children, strengthening families, enhancing communities, perpetuating Native Hawaiian culture, and is a key member in the ‘Eleu network, a statewide group of FCIL providers.  Ms. Vega has been a key planner in the FCIL's online learning program developed in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic.  Ms. Vega has dedicated thirty-three years to the field of early learning as a Program Manager for the School Readiness Program for the Executive Office on Early Learning, Project Manager for Hawaii Careers with Young Children Workforce and Professional Development Systems Building, and an educational and management consultant.

 

     As a current interim member of the Early Learning Board, Ms. Vega is a part of the Workforce Equity Subcommittee, where she shares her insights about the FCIL programs, relationship to community values, and the importance of family-child relationships and emphasizes the needs and expectations of the workforce in early childhood settings in Hawaii relating, guiding the subcommittee's study plans.  Therefore, your Committee finds that Melodie Vega has the experience, knowledge, and desire to contribute to the community and will continue to be an asset to the Early Learning Board.

 

JUSTINA ACEVEDO-CROSS

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the reappointment of Justina Acevedo-Cross from the Executive Office on Early Learning and one member of the Early Learning Board.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Acevedo-Cross' background, experience, and dedication to early childhood education qualify her for reappointment to the Early Learning Board.  Your Committee finds that Ms. Acevedo-Cross is presently the Program Director for the Hawaii Community Foundation, leading the Promising Minds initiative to strengthen healthy development of all children from birth to age five, where she focuses on early learning, education, community development, economic security, and workforce development issues.  She has previously served as Program Officer for The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Communications Manager, Interim Policy Manager, and Consultant at the Women's Initiative for Self Employment.  She hopes to catalyze policy development around the whole child so that early learning activities include foundational components that affect a child's ability to learn about health and feeling safe.

 

     As a current member of the Early Learning Board, Ms. Acevedo-Cross serves on the Finance Subcommittee and the Executive Office on Early Learning Director Search Subcommittee, where she is engaged in the study of early educator qualifications, pay equity, and strategies to build early learning workforce capacity.  Your Committee therefore finds that Justina Acevedo-Cross's understanding of child development, as well as her willingness to serve, will be great assets to the Early Learning Board.

 

CHERILYN SHIINOKI

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Cherilyn Shiinoki from the Executive Office on Early Learning, one member of the Early Learning Board, and one individual.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Shiinoki's background, experience, and dedication to early childhood education qualify her for appointment to the Early Learning Board.  Your Committee finds that Ms. Shiinoki is presently the Executive Director for Family Hui Hawaii, which offers a peer-to-peer parenting support program, and has previous professional and volunteer experience as a volunteer intern for the State of Hawaii Governor's Executive Office on Early Learning; education specialist, substitute teacher, and administrative support at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Children's Center; and Children's Ministry Director for New Hope Diamond Head.  In her personal statement, Ms. Shiinoki indicated that she hopes that her seventeen years of early childhood education as a parent informs the voices of families are represented on the Early Learning Board to design a sustainable early learning system in which children are healthy, valued, and successful in school and life.

 

     As a current member of the Early Learning Board, Ms. Shiinoki possesses a firm understanding of the Early Learning Board's objectives, strategies, and focuses an understanding of child development and advocates for expanding the Executive Office of Early Learning's system building role to service more infants and toddlers.  Therefore, your Committee finds that Cherilyn Shiinoki has the experience, knowledge, and desire to contribute to the community and will continue to be an asset to the Early Learning Board.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair