STAND. COM. REP. 3320

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: GOV. MSG. NO. 153

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 153, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of:

Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System (ERS)

G.M. No. 153

HENRY F. BEERMAN,

for a term to expire 01-01-09,

begs leave to report as follows:

HENRY F. BEERMAN is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound. Mr. Beerman is a shareholder, director, and officer of Jim On & Beerman, A Law Corporation, and has specialized in insurance defense litigation for the past fifteen years. He currently serves as an arbitrator with the Court-Annexed Arbitration Program and has also served as an arbitrator with a private arbitration service. He has been in private practice since graduating from law school, initially focusing on commercial litigation, but also handling cases involving a wide range of subject areas including maritime, construction, products liability, environmental, employer liability, and other insurance related cases.

Mr. Beerman is admitted to practice law in the courts of the State of Hawaii, the United States District Court for the State of Hawaii, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Hawaii Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Beerman has also served as the President of the Maemae Elementary School Parent Teacher Association.

Testimony in support of the nominee was submitted by the Director of Budget and Finance, the Administrator of the Employees' Retirement System, the Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association, and four private citizens.

Appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System on an interim basis in 2003, the nominee currently serves on the Board. During his tenure, the nominee has attended training on investments suitable for public retirement plans and has been involved in a consultant search and several manager searches.

Your Committee members diligently questioned the nominee regarding his vision and priorities for the Employees' Retirement System. The nominee demonstrated a commitment to proactively protect and improve the Employees' Retirement System. Your Committee believes that the nominee adequately responded to the Committee's inquiries.

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

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair