Finalists named for 3 seats on UH Board of Regents

UH News, March 31, 2023

The Candidate Advisory Council (CAC) for the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents has presented a list of candidates to Gov. Josh Green to fill one Honolulu County seat, one Maui County seat and one Hawaiʻi County seat for 5-year appointments beginning July 1, 2023, subject to confirmation by the Hawaiʻi State Senate.

The finalists for these seats are:

Honolulu County seat

Neil Abercrombie
Keith Amemiya
Matthew Matsunaga
Mary Oneha
Waiʻaleʻale Sarsona

Maui County seat

Lauren Akitake
Sheri Daniels
Beverly Stanich

Hawaiʻi County seat

Michael Miyahira
Kona Moran
Alapaki Nahale-a
Steven Pavao

Finalist biographies are available at www.hawaii.edu/rcac.

Members of the UH Candidate Advisory Council include:

Brigitte Yoshino, Chair
Lance Wilhelm, Vice Chair
Blair Odo, Secretary
Amy Agbayani, Member
Amy Hennessey, Member
Brandon Marc Higa, Member
Dale Nishikawa, Member

The CAC began accepting applications to fill these vacancies in the fall by contacting and encouraging government, business and community leaders to nominate candidates. The council also placed print advertisements encouraging applications. All applications were thoroughly and comprehensively reviewed and screened by all CAC members.

The Candidate Advisory Committee is statutorily responsible for conducting recruitment efforts, accepting and screening applications, interviewing candidates and submitting to the governor the names of nominees willing to serve as regents of the UH System, which is a voluntary non-compensated public appointment.

Candidate lists are compiled after a comprehensive review and selection process, which is solely and exclusively merit-based and according to procedures set forth in state statutes and the council’s administrative rules.

“The Candidate Advisory Council members thank all the individuals who applied for these seats on the Board of Regents. We are pleased to submit these names for consideration to the governor,” said Chair Brigitte Yoshino.

The Board of Regents is the governing body of UH and consists of 11 members. Representation includes five from the City and County of Honolulu; two from Hawaiʻi County; two from Maui County; one from Kauaʻi County; and one (1) UH student.

Members of the CAC serve voluntarily and are not paid.

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SA: Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie among finalists for UH regents -- Abercrombie, 84, said he wants to devote “whatever time I have left in life to the university … and to its role as being the critical center and intellectual foundation for however Hawaii as a society evolves. I think the university is the key to this.”  He said he sent Green a letter Friday requesting consideration for a seat on the board.

HTH: Hawaii County finalists named for UH Board of Regents seat