2013 BOR Recruitment: List of Potential Candidates Delivered to Governor
On Feb. 4, 2013, the Regents Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) delivered to Governor Neil Abercrombie's office a list of candidates for the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents (BOR).
A list of 8 candidates was provided, from which two may be nominated by the governor for appointment to the BOR for seats to be filled effective July 1, 2013 and one to be filled immediately on an interim basis until confirmed by Hawaii State Senate.
RCAC Releases Names of Finalists for the UH Board of Regents
News Release from UH Regents Candidate Advisory Council Feb 4, 2013
HONOLULU – The Regents Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) has presented a list of candidates to Governor Neil Abercrombie to fill three seats on the University of Hawai’i Board of Regents for terms beginning July 1, 2013. The outgoing regents whose terms will end on June 30, are Artemio Baxa (Maui County) and Barry Mizuno (Hawai‘i County). The third seat was formerly filled by Regent Michael Dahilig whose term would have ended on June 30th but resigned on January 2, 2013.
The RCAC was created after the passage of the Hawai‘i Board of Regents Candidates Act, a 2006 legislatively‐referred constitutional amendment. Hawai‘i voters overwhelmingly cast their votes to require the Governor to select Board of Regents candidates from a pool of qualified candidates screened and proposed by the RCAC.
Approximately seven years have lapsed since the passage of the constitutional amendment and the creation of the RCAC. All 15 members currently serving on the UH Board of Regents were selected by the Governor from lists provided by the RCAC.
The RCAC selection process is completely transparent; all candidate lists are compiled only after the RCAC completes its comprehensive review and selection process, which is solely and exclusively merit based. The triggering of the need for a list of regent candidates as well as the submittal of the Council candidate lists, strictly follow prescribed processes and procedures set forth in either state statutes or the Council’s administrative rules.
As part of the Council recruitment process, members actively solicited input from the following:
- Current and former university regents,
- University students, faculty, and administrators,
- Government, business and community leaders, and
- The public
These outreach efforts enhanced the Council’s recruitment process and helped focus our search for candidates who possessed skills that further complement and increase board synergy and enhance the board’s governing abilities. Our outreach also triggered the Council’s highest applicant to vacancy ratio to date.
RCAC began this recruitment cycle during early fall 2012. Council members personally recruited candidates and contacted and encouraged government, business, and community leaders to nominate regent candidates. The Council placed print advertisement and issued press releases encouraging
regent candidates to apply. All Council members comprehensively and thoroughly reviewed each of the twenty‐one (21) applications received and considered the applicants’ educational background, experience, qualifications and complementing skill set that the applicant could add towards strengthening board governance and synergism.
Council members interviewed fourteen (14) candidates and had each candidate understand the extraordinary personal time commitment that is required when serving as a university regent. Upon completion of the candidate interview process, the Council commissioned extensive background and reference checks on its candidate finalists. Having completed all of its screening processes, the RCAC finalized the following list of candidates from which Governor Abercrombie must select and the State Senate must confirm during the current legislative session.
The finalists for the three seats are:
Hawai‘i County Seat (Term to begin July 1, 2013)
1. Barry T. Mizuno
2. Roy A. Vitousek
Maui County Seat (Term to begin July 1, 2013)
1. Eugene Bal III
2. Artemio C. Baxa
3. Georgia K. McMillen
At Large Seat (Term to begin immediately upon appointment on an interim basis until confirmed by Hawai‘i State Senate)
1. John L. Fink
2. Randolph A. Moore
3. Eric A. Seitz
The Council believes each finalist offers exceptional and complementing skills that will further strengthen board governance and synergy, serve as a tremendous resource for the University and its President, and help guide and focus the institution’s strategic directions in teaching, research, and community service.
RCAC Chair Fujii expressed his appreciation to the many individuals who applied during this recruitment period and encourages those not selected to re‐apply during future recruitments.
The RCAC was created by Act 56 of the 2007 Session Laws of Hawai‘i i in conformity with Article X, Section 6 of the Hawai‘i State Constitution and its members are selected by various community constituencies including the UH Alumni Association, the Emeritus Regents Association, the UH All Campus Council of Faculty Senate Chairs, the UH Student Caucus Executive Council, the Hawai‘i State Senate, the Hawai‘i House of Representatives, and the Hawai‘i State Governor. The RCAC operates in a wholly nonpartisan manner.
The Board of Regents is the governing body of the University of Hawai‘i and consist of fifteen (15) members whose representation include seven (7) from the City and County of Honolulu; two (2) from the Hawai‘i County;, two (2) from the Maui County; one (1) from the Kauai County; two (2) At Large; and one (1) University of Hawai‘i student.
Members of the Board of Regents as well as the RCAC serve voluntarily and are not paid.
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