STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3554

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 843, 844, 845, 846, 847, 848

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 843, 844, 845, 846, 847, and 848, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Language Access Advisory Council

 

G.M. No. 843

MELBA BANTAY,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 844

JENNIFER DOTSON,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015;

 

G.M. No. 845

MARGARITA HOPKINS,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 846

DOMINIC INOCELDA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 847

GERALD OHTA,

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

 

G.M. No. 848

MARY SANTA MARIA,

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 Melba Bantay, Jennifer Dotson, Margarita Hopkins, Dominic Inocelda, Gerald Ohta, and Mary Santa Maria to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to serve on the Language Access Advisory Council.

 

MELBA BANTAY

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Melba Bantay from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Health; Office of Language Access; Catholic Charities of Hawaii; Congress of Visayan Organizations; Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc.; Office of the Vicar General, Diocese of Honolulu; United Filipino Council of Hawaii; Hawaii Catholic Conference; and five individuals.

 

     Ms. Bantay earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from Far Eastern University in Manila, Philippines, her Master of Arts in Theology from Maryknoll School of Theology in New York, and her Master of Public Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She is accredited by the United States Board of Immigration Appeals as an agency representative to represent immigration clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

 

     Ms. Bantay currently serves as the Program Director for Immigration Services and Refugee Reception and Placement Programs at Catholic Charities Hawaii.  She is responsible for the overall management of program budgets, direction of program planning and activities, maintenance of internal standards for program improvement, and achievement of program goals and objectives.  She has been employed at Catholic Charities since 1985 and has served various positions, including Statistician, Supervisor of Immigrant Services, and Program Director of Employment Core Services for Low-Income Immigrants and Other Low-Income Persons.  She is fluent in Tagalog, English, and Spanish.

 

     Ms. Bantay lived and worked as a missionary in Guatemala and Nicaragua and worked with Spanish Jesuit priests in forming basic Christian communities among the poor in Managua, Nicaragua.  She has committed herself to serving the Hawaii community through her involvement with the Hawaii Covering Kids Ad Hoc Committee, Interagency Council of Immigrant Service Providers, Honolulu Catholic Diocese Prison Ministry, St. Theresa Parish Pastoral Council, and Hawaii Coalition for Immigration Reform.

 

     Ms. Bantay is nominated for reappointment to the Language Access Advisory Council.  As a member, she has been a passionate and tenacious advocate for immigrants and refugees and strives to ensure that language is not a barrier to acquiring needed services.  She is highly regarded for her character, professionalism, thoroughness, persistence, and skilled stewardship of limited resources.  She is an outstanding member and invaluable asset to the Council.

 

JENNIFER DOTSON

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Jennifer Dotson from the Office of Language Access and one individual.

 

     Ms. Dotson earned her Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and a Master of Science degree in Comparative Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.  She is the former Executive Director of the Hawaii Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.  She is also the recipient of Hawaii Business Magazine's 20 for the Next 20 recognition and was part of Pacific Business News' class of Forty Under 40.

 

     Ms. Dotson has committed herself to serving the Hawaii community.  She serves as the President-Elect of the Junior League of Honolulu, a Director for Envision Hawaii, the Executive Vice President on the Interview Admissions Committee of the Georgetown Alumni Club, and a reading tutor for Hawaii Literacy.

 

     Ms. Dotson is nominated for reappointment to the Language Access Advisory Council.  She has been a very active member and has served as the Chairperson of the Council's Annual Hawaii Conference on Language Access for the past three years and will again serve as Conference Chairperson this year.  She is a reliable, dependable, hardworking, bright, and personable contributing member and invaluable asset to the Council.

 

MARGARITA HOPKINS

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Margarita Hopkins from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Office of Language Access, Congress of Visayan Organizations, and four individuals.

 

     Ms. Hopkins earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. Joseph College and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Xavier University and has completed coursework for a Doctorate in Agricultural Economics at Oregon State University.  She currently serves as an Economic Development Specialist with the Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawaii.  She previously served in a number of academic positions at the College of Business and Economics at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and as a Marketing Specialist and Economist for the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.  She is proficient in Cebuano (Visayan), Tagalog, and Spanish.

 

     Ms. Hopkins is active in the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council, Hawaii Forest Stewardship Advisory Council, and Sea Grant Advisory Committee.  She also previously served as President and Board member of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Congress of Visayan Organizations, Big Island Filipino Community Council, and Hilo Visayan Club.  She is the recipient of several government service and community service awards.

 

     According to testimony submitted in support of the nominee, Ms. Hopkins is a tireless and passionate advocate for immigrants and other vulnerable communities.  Her knowledge of rural and neighbor island issues will be invaluable to the Language Access Advisory Council's efforts in providing language access to English language learners, so they may become strong contributing members to the community.

 

DOMINIC INOCELDA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Dominic Inocelda from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Office of Language Access; Congress of Visayan Organizations; United Filipino Council of Hawaii; Oahu Filipino Community Council; Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc.; Kalihi-Palama Culture & Arts Society, Inc.; Susannah Wesley Community Center; and four individuals.

 

     Mr. Inocelda earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and his Master of Social Work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  He is a licensed Clinical Social Worker who currently serves as a Clinical Administrator for the Bilingual Care Coordination and Support Services Program at the Susannah Wesley Community Center.  Since 1982, he has served in various program management and administrative roles at the Susannah Wesley Community Center and worked with limited and non-English speakers, the elderly, public housing residents, youth and adolescents with emotional disturbances, immigrant families, and persons with serious mental illnesses.  A few years ago, he was recognized by the Hawaii Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers as the Social Worker of the Year for Social Justice.

 

     Mr. Inocelda has committed himself to serving the Hawaii community.  He currently serves as the President of the Inter-Agency Council for Immigrant and Refugee Services where he is a strong advocate for immigrants, marginalized groups, and vulnerable individuals.  He mobilized key stakeholders from the public and private sectors to support the passage of the State's language access law to ensure that all state agencies provide limited English proficient individuals with meaningful access to state-funded services, programs, and activities.  He also serves as a Branch Board member of the Leeward YMCA, a member and President of the Kalihi-Palama Culture and Arts Society, Inc., the Chairperson of the Foster Grandparent Advisory Committee, and a Board Member for the Family Service Center.

 

     Mr. Inocelda is nominated for reappointment to the Language Access Advisory Council.  He currently serves as the Council's Chairperson.  He is highly regarded for his character, professionalism, thoroughness, persistence, and skilled stewardship of limited resources.  His extensive experience in working with various segments of the community and his longstanding commitment to public service will serve the Council well.

 

GERALD OHTA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Gerald Ohta from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Office of Language Access, and Papa Ola Lokahi.

 

     Mr. Ohta is currently employed at the Department of Health where he serves as an Affirmative Action Officer and the Department's Language Access Coordinator and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.  He previously served as the Deputy for the Office of Affirmative Action.

 

     Mr. Ohta actively serves as a member of the Association of Refugee Health Coordinators, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Training Network, Hawaii Supreme Court Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts, and Hawaii Healthcare Acquired Infections Advisory Committee.  He has also served as an instructor or trainer for numerous courses, including unlawful harassment, employment discrimination, reasonable accommodation, and counseling.  He is also an advocate for public health issues, National Hawaiian health, health equality, and persons with disabilities.  Lastly, he has participated as a panelist, speaker, or moderator in many conferences and has appeared in television and radio programs on health care, language access, and affirmative action.

 

     Mr. Ohta is nominated for reappointment to the Language Access Advisory Council.  He currently serves as the Council's Vice Chairperson.  As a member of the Council, he has worked with schools, universities, enforcement agencies, and public health agencies to ensure that the limited English speaking population is not denied essential government services.  He also brings to the Council a wealth of contacts with language access advocates, organizations, and agencies located outside of the State.

 

MARY SANTA MARIA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Mary Santa Maria from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Office of Language Access.

 

     Ms. Santa Maria earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from the University of Texas at Austin, her Master of Science degree in Athletic Administration from Texas A&I University, and her Master of Public Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She is currently employed at the Maui District Health Office of the Department of Health where she serves as a Public Health Educator and is responsible for conducting training, workshops, and presentations on chronic disease and related issues.  She previously served as an HIV Counselor/Tester Trainer and Quality Assurance Coordinator and HIV Prevention Educator for the Department and has worked on healthy community projects, family planning, and physical fitness promotion.  She speaks Spanish and Italian.

 

     Ms. Santa Maria actively serves with the Maui County Healthy Volunteers, Maui AIDS Foundation Board, and Friends of Haleakala National Park Board.  She is also involved with the National Peace Corps Association, Maui Interpreter Hui, and Hawaii Public Health Association.  She is a recipient of the Governor's Outstanding Team Award for her service on the Dengue Response Team for the Maui District Health Office and was recognized as an Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1980.

 

     Ms. Santa Maria is nominated for reappointment to the Language Access Advisory Council.  In addition to her various educational, community, and professional achievements and experiences, her work and knowledge in language access, medical interpreting training, and health services access for limited English proficient persons will enable her to continue making valuable contributions to the Council.

 

     Given the background, skills, and experience of the nominees, your Committee finds that all of the nominees are eminently qualified to serve on the Language Access Advisory Council.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair