Gov. Ben Cayetano has nominated University of Hawaii-Hilo official Gerald DeMello to fill the Big Island seat on the state Board of Land & Natural Resources. UH-Hilo official gets
Land Board nominationCayetano withdrew his first
appointment, which hit rough waterAssociated Press
DeMello's nomination comes after the governor withdrew his original nomination of former Hawaii County Planning Director Virginia Goldstein when Senate Water, Land, Energy and Environment Committee Chairwoman Lorraine Inouye told Cayetano that appointment was in trouble.
Inouye (D, North Hilo-Hamakua-South Kohala) said Thursday that she has no problem with DeMello's qualifications for the appointment, although she is concerned about a potential conflict between board duties and his university position.
"I did send a letter to the attorney general requesting an opinion on whether a state employee can be appointed to a high-powered position," she said.
Beyond DeMello's nomination, Inouye said she wants the opinion as guidance for future cases in which state employees and officials are nominated to important state boards or commissions.
She said as university relations director at the Hilo campus, DeMello likely was involved in the school's responsibility for the management plan for the Mauna Kea summit, which serves as one of the world's most valuable astronomy centers.
The Board of Land & Natural Resources has policy authority over the summit lands and the management plan, creating a potential conflict, Inouye said.
Inouye said she urged Cayetano to withdraw Goldstein's appointment last month after getting a flood of protests about her actions as planning director under former Mayor Stephen Yamashiro's pro-development administration.