STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3176

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 348, 349

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 348 and 349, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

State Council on Developmental Disabilities

 

G.M. No. 348

TIFFANY R. VARA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2011; and

 

G.M. No. 349

BARBARA A. IOLI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Tiffany R. Vara and Barbara A. Ioli to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Tiffany R. Vara's nomination to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Disability Studies.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that Tiffany R. Vara has both professional and volunteer experience in the healthcare field.  Ms. Vara worked domestically and internationally as a United States Army Medical Service Corps officer from 1992 to 1996.  More recently, Ms. Vara has turned her energies toward community service, becoming involved with the Outcome Planning Committee for the Developmental Disabilities/Mentally Retarded Program, serving on the Developmental Disability Health and Early Childhood Subcommittee, and currently serving as an Advisory Board Member of both the National Children's Study and the National Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Plan/The Brain Project. 

 

     Your Committee further finds that Ms. Vara's ability to balance emotion with practicality and reason will benefit the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.  Her experience advocating for children with special needs and their families and promoting the full inclusion of the community for achieving advances for individuals with developmental disabilities will make Ms. Vara an asset on the Council.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Barbara A. Ioli's nomination to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and one individual.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Barbara Ioli has personal and community experience with the special needs population.  Ms. Ioli currently is a full-time caregiver for her son and grandson, both of whom have special needs.  In addition, Ms. Ioli serves on the Leeward Community Children's Council and the Special Education Advisory Council, and is an active member of the Special Olympics of Hawaii, the Hawaii Association of Parents of the Visually Impaired, and the Hawaii Down Syndrome Congress. 

 

     Ms. Ioli's personal experiences caring first for her son and now also for her grandson give her a valuable familiarity with the trajectory of developmental disability policy, what progress has been made in recent years, and what progress is still needed.  Your Committee shares Ms. Ioli's personal philosophy that every day brings a learning experience and that that experience and insight are meaningless unless shared with others.  Your Committee appreciates Ms. Ioli's willingness to share her hard-earned insights for the betterment of our community.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair