STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1778

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, and 560, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation

G.M. No. 555

YUKIO KITAGAWA,

for a term to expire 06-30-2006;

G.M. No. 556

WAYNE K. KATAYAMA,

for a term to expire 06-30-2009;

G.M. No. 557

ROBERT V. OSGOOD,

for a term to expire 06-30-2008;

G.M. No. 558

TEENA M. RASMUSSEN,

for a term to expire 06-30-2007;

G.M. No. 559

ROBERT S. SUTHERLAND,

for a term to expire 06-30-2009; and

G.M. No. 560

ERIC D. WEINERT,

for a term to expire 06-30-2006,

begs leave to report as follows:

YUKIO KITAGAWA is currently a board member and the chair of the Agribusiness Development Corporation. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture from the University of Hawaii and a Master's degree in Agriculture from Oregon State University. Mr. Kitagawa was the former chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and an assistant director of the Cooperative Extension Service for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Services at the University of Hawaii. He was the president of the Hawaii Association of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents and the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Mr. Kitagawa was a member of the City and County of Honolulu Planning Commission and is currently a board member of the Hawaii Marketing Alliance and the Wahiawa Hongwanji.

Testimony in support of Mr. Kitagawa was submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the Kauai County Farm Bureau, and Meadow Gold Dairies.

WAYNE K. KATAYAMA is currently a board member of the Agribusiness Development Corporation. He holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii. Mr. Katayama is the president of Kilauea Agronomics, LLC and has also served as the president for Kilauea Agronomics, Inc. and Hawaiian Fruit Specialists, Ltd. He was also a vice president at Kilauea Agronomics, Ltd.; a senior financial analyst at C. Brewer and Company, Ltd.; and an industrial engineer at the Olokele Sugar Company.

Mr. Katayama is also a board member with the Hawaii Employers Council, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Chapter of the American Red Cross, and Hawaii Marketing Alliance.

Testimony in support of Mr. Katayama was submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the County of Kauai Office of Economic Development, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the Kauai County Farm Bureau, and Meadow Gold Dairies.

ROBERT V. OSGOOD holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Miami and a Master's degree and a Doctorate in Horticulture from the University of Hawaii. He is retired from the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center where he was the vice president and assistant director and is currently a private agricultural consultant.

Dr. Osgood is an affiliate faculty member for the Horticulture Department at the University of Hawaii, a program chairperson for the Agriculture Section of the Hawaiian Sugar Technologists, a member of the Weed Science Committee for the International Society of Sugarcane Technologists, a director of the Hawaii Forest Industry Association, a former president of the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, a member of the Hawaii Coffee Growers' Association, and a former president of the Plant Growth Regulator Society of America. Dr. Osgood has also authored numerous publications and has participated in a number of presentations internationally in the agricultural field.

Testimony in support of Dr. Osgood was submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation; the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Alluvion, Inc.; the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.

TEENA M. RASMUSSEN is the co-owner of Paradise Flower Farms, Inc. on the island of Maui. Paradise Flower Farms, Inc. began in 1980, and today it has thirty-two employees and approximately fifty acres of farmlands.

Ms. Rasmussen is currently the vice chair of the Agribusiness Development Corporation and is a member and former board member and chairperson of the Maui Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Maui County Farm Bureau, a former board member of the Maui Economic Development Board, a member and former president of the Maui Business and Professional Women's Club, and a member of the Maui Flower Growers and Shippers Association, Made in Maui Trade Council, NFIB Hawaii Guardian Advisory Council, Tax Foundation of Hawaii, Maui Hotel Association, and Wholesale Florists' and Shippers' Association of America. She has also received the 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Maui Chamber of Commerce and Island Business Magazine and the 2001 Small Business Person of the Year Award for Maui County from the Small Business Administration.

Testimony in support of Ms. Rasmussen was submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.

ROBERT S. SUTHERLAND is a former chairperson and board member of the Agribusiness Development Corporation. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University and attended the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association training program. Mr. Sutherland began his extensive career in agriculture at McBryde Sugar Company. He has also worked for Alexander & Baldwin as a schedule coordinator, Princess Orchards Papaya as a vice president of operations, and Kaupo Ranch as an assistant manager. Currently, Mr. Sutherland is the trustee in charge of a ranch owned by the John T. Waterhouse Trust and a co-owner of another ranch on Kauai.

Testimony in support of Mr. Sutherland was submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.

ERIC D. WEINERT is the owner of Hawaii Pride, LLC, the first all electric irradiator in the world, which removes fruit flies and insects from local fruits. He is also the co-owner of Plant It Hawaii, Inc. and Hula Brothers, Inc. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Weinert is also the founding member of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers and the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Cooperative.

Testimony in support of Mr. Weinert was submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.

Your Committee finds that the nominees' background, experience, and expertise in the business of agriculture make them each an asset to the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is 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 Water, Land, and Agriculture,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair