Governor Appoints Members to UH Board of Regents, Stadium Authority, Among Other Boards and Commissions

News Release from www.Hawaii.gov/gov March 12, 2012

HONOLULU – Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced appointments to various boards and commissions including the Stadium Authority and the University of Hawai'i (UH) Board of Regents.

The appointments to fill six seats on the UH Board of Regents are:

Benjamin Kudo is appointed to the at-large seat. He is the Chief Financial Officer and manager of the land use, administrative and environmental law group of the law firm of Imanaka Kudo & Fujimoto. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Kudo served as an Adjunct Professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law and he has been a lecturer in business law at the UH West O'ahu. Mr. Kudo was recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in Hawai'i” by Honolulu Magazine. A 1968 graduate of I'olani School, he earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington; an M.B.A. from the UH; and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Tom Shigemoto is appointed to the Kaua'i County seat. He is the Vice President of Planning for Alexander and Baldwin Properties, Inc. He is a former Planning Director for Kaua'i County. A graduate of Kaua'i High School, he earned his BFA in Urban and Regional Design from UH.

John Dean is appointed to the Honolulu seat. He is the President and CEO of Central Pacific Financial Corp. Mr. Dean has spent 31 years as an executive in the financial services industry focusing on turnarounds in the banking industry. He is the former CEO of Silicon Valley Bancshares and Silicon Valley Bank. In 2001, Mr. Dean was recognized by Forbes as one of the “50 most powerful dealmakers.” He is a graduate of Holy Cross College, a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Western Samoa, and a graduate of Wharton School with an M.B.A. in Finance.

Barry Mizuno, who is currently an interim appointment, is appointed to the Hawai'i County seat. He is a former Hawai'i County Managing Director, and a former manager at Puna Geothermal Venture.

Carl Carlson, who currently serves on the board, is being reappointed to the Hawai'i County seat. Mr. Carlson is the founder of Hu'ehu'e Ventures, a real estate and consulting firm. A former trustee of the Parker Ranch Foundation, he also served on the Hawai'i County Board of Ethics, the State Board of Agriculture, the Historic Hawai'i Foundation and Hawai'i Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.

Jeffrey Acido is a graduate student at UH Manoa working toward a Master’s degree in Asian Studies with a focus on the Philippines. He is an assistant researcher at Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART). He is appointed to the student seat.

The appointments to fill three vacancies for three-year terms on the Stadium Authority are:

Odetta Fujimori is a former teacher and President of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association. She has served in a number of leadership roles for educational organizations including the UH College of Education Alumni Association, McKinley Alumni Association, and the Hawai'i Labor Heritage Committee. She has also served on the Hawai'i Employment Relations Board, the Hawai'i Labor Advisory Council and Hawai'i Education Council.

Scot Long is the Business Manager/Financial Secretary for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local Union 1357. Prior to his current position, Mr. Long served as the IBEW Local Union Representative and was formerly employed at Hawaiian Telcom. He is a member of the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Executive Committee, President of the Kaiser High School Athletic Foundation.

Edward Hasegawa has served on an interim basis since December 2011 and is being appointed to continue to serve. Mr. Hasegawa is a retired teacher and former Vice-Principal of Moanalua Intermediate School and August Ahrens Elementary. He is former member of the Hawai'i Jaycees, having served as President and Chairman of the Board. He currently volunteers with the Pacific Buddhist Academy.

Other boards of note, the Governor also reappointed Cheryl Lupenui, Nancy Budd, and Keith Amemiya to serve three-year terms on the Board of Education.

###