MEDIA RELEASE

The Regents Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) has presented a list of candidates to Gov. Neil Abercrombie to fill four seats on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents for terms beginning July 1, 2012.

The outgoing regents whose terms will end on June 30, 2012, include Ramon de la Pena (Kauai County); Dennis Hirota (City and County of Honolulu) Teena Rasmussen (At Large); and Matthew Williams (Student).

The RCAC was created after the passage of the Hawaii Board of Regents Candidates Act, a 2006 legislatively‐referred constitutional amendment. Hawaii voters overwhelmingly cast their vote to require the governor to select board of regents candidates from a pool of qualified candidates screened and proposed by the RCAC.

Approximately six 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 statues 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
* 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. The outreach also triggered the Council’s highest applicant to vacancy ratio to date.

RCAC began this recruitment cycle during early fall 2011. 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. A total of 61 applications were received; all seven members of the RCAC thoroughly and comprehensively screened each application.

As mandated by Act 58, applications for the student seat were screened by the University of Hawaii Student Advisory Group who tendered their recommendations for student regent candidates to the Council for its consideration.

Upon consideration of the applicants’ educational background, experience, qualifications, and complementing skill set each candidate could add towards strengthening board governance and synergism, 27 candidates were interviewed in November and December.

Council members interviewed all 27 candidates and had each candidate understand the extraordinary personal time commitment (a minimum of 40 hours per month) 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 its screening processes, the RCAC finalized the list of candidates and presented the following names to the governor.

Abercrombie must select nominees for the Board of Regents from this list. The State Senate must confirm the Governor’s appointments during the current legislative session.

The Council is also awaiting the governor’s nomination decision on two Hawaii County board seats currently held by holdover regent Carl Carlson and interim regent Barry Mizuno.

The finalists for the four seats are:

City and County of Honolulu Seat
* John Dean
* Ronald Ho
* Carol Mon Lee
* Keith Vieira

Kauai County Seat
* Klaus Keil
* Tom Shigemoto

At Large Seat
* Gregory Chun
* Patrick DeLeon
* Benjamin Kudo
* Georgia McMillen

Student Seat
* Jeffrey Acido
* Matthew Williams

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 Hawaii i in conformity with Article X, Section 6 of the Hawaii State Constitution and its members, are selected by various community constituencies namely the UH Alumni Association, the Emeritus Regents Association, the UH All Campus Council of Faculty Senate, the UH Student Caucus Executive Council, the Hawaii State Senate, the Hawaii House of Representatives, and the Hawaii State Governor. The RCAC operates in a wholly nonpartisan manner.

The Board of Regents is the governing body of the University of Hawaii and consist of 15 members whose representation include seven from the City and County of Honolulu; two from the Hawaii County; two from the Maui County; one from the Kauai County; two At Large; and one University of Hawaii student.

Members of the Board of Regents as well as the RCAC serve voluntarily and are not paid.

Gregory C. Chun, Ph.D.
Vice President, Kamehameha Schools

Gregory Chun assumed his current position at Kamehameha Schools in August 2009. The Keauhou-Kahaluu Education Group is a newly formed education group established within the Kamehameha Schools system that provides aina- based education and culture-based instruction in West Hawaii.

Educational partners include the Hawaii State Department of Education, University of Hawaii, Kamehameha Schools Campus and Enrichment Programs, and a variety of private education organizations.

These programs also serve as the catalyst for the re-positioning of the Keauhou Resort, a Kamehameha Schools asset, as a cultural and educational destination.

Previously, Chun served as President of Bishop Holdings Corporation and Subsidiaries, the for-profit arm of Kamehameha Schools, which carries out real estate investment and development businesses on behalf of the Trust.

Prior to joining Kamehameha Schools, Chun was with Parker Ranch, Inc., first as an independent contractor and later as executive vice-president and secretary.

His experience includes real estate development in Hawaii and on the mainland, restoration of historic Hawaiian sites in West Hawaii and Molokai and the development of associated educational and cultural programming, Hawaiian culture and values training, and leadership and organizational development.

Born and raised in Kailua, a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, and trained as a Clinical Psychologist, Chun integrates a unique blend of cultural, educational, and humanistic perspectives into his formal business roles and responsibilities.

Chun is married to Debra Uilani Kekuna Chun, also a graduate of Kamehameha Schools.