Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, January 5, 2017
Dean Nishina Appointed Consumer Advocate
By News Release @ 6:42 PM :: 6257 Views :: Energy, Hawaii State Government, Cost of Living

DEAN NISHINA NAMED STATE’S CONSUMER ADVOCATE

News Release from Office of the Governor, Jan 5, 2017

HONOLULU – Dean Nishina has been named executive director for Department of Commerce and Consumer Affair’s Division of Consumer Advocacy (DCA), effective January 1. He has been serving as acting executive director since September 1, following the departure of Jeffrey Ono, who returned to private practice.

As the Consumer Advocate, Nishina will oversee the division’s representation of consumer interests before the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and other local and federal agencies. Nishina previously served in the role from December 2009 to January 2011.

“We are extremely pleased that Dean has agreed to return as the state’s Consumer Advocate,” said Catherine Awakuni Colón, director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. “He has been with the department for nearly twenty-five years, and has a wealth of experience in the area of public utilities. His depth of knowledge would truly be a benefit to protect the interests of Hawaii’s consumers. ”

Nishina has been recently serving as public utilities/transportation administrator for DCA, but has filled various roles of increasing responsibility within the division since 1992. Prior to that, Nishina worked as an audit and financial consulting senior for Arthur Andersen & Co, LLP, where he specialized in auditing and accounting of electric and gas utilities, government and telecommunications industries.

“I look forward to continuing to advocate on behalf of the state’s consumers in this dynamic period,” said Nishina. “Hawaii’s energy environment has seen significant changes over recent years. Going forward, we remain committed to balancing the demands of Hawaii’s energy landscape to promote renewable energies to achieve the state’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2045.”

Nishina received his undergraduate degree in economics and psychology from Northwestern University, and his M.S. degree in professional accountancy from DePaul University.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) also announces the following:

Craig Uyehara has been promoted to Senior Hearings Officer in the department’s Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). As Senior Hearings Officer, Uyehara will oversee the office to conduct contested case hearings involving procurement protest appeals, trade name disputes, professional licensing violations and denials, securities violations, personal injury protection insurance benefits, and Employee Retirement System retirement benefits. OAH is also responsible for the administration of the Medical Inquiry and Conciliation Panel and the Design Claims Conciliation Panel.

Dean Hazama joins DCCA as Business Management Officer. He previously served in various positions at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard including as Technical Director of the Pacific Fleet Technical Support Center, Logistics Officer for the Pacific Defense Information Systems Agency, and Business and Material Officer for the Defense Logistics Agency Maritime Pearl Harbor.  Hazama comes to DCCA from the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation.  He is also Chair of the Honolulu Planning Commission and the Mililani Mauka/Launani Valley Neighborhood Board.

###

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT