Governor’s aide gets new job
as UH construction managerThe university also will lend a professor
to Lingle as an adviserBy Anthony Sommer
tsommer@starbulletin.comLIHUE >> Sam Callejo, Gov. Ben Cayetano's chief of staff, was hired yesterday by the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to run the university's construction program.
At the same time, the regents unanimously approved the "loan" of UH law professor Randall Roth to Gov.-elect Linda Lingle to serve as her chief policy adviser after she takes office. Roth will be paid by the university rather than the Governor's Office.
The personnel actions were not on the regents' agenda for yesterday and thus drew no public comment. They were added under a provision of the state's open-meeting law that allows matters of "reasonably major importance" to be added to the agenda of any board or commission by a two-thirds vote. The regents voted unanimously.
Numerous aides to UH President Evan Dobelle repeatedly stressed that the hiring of Callejo for the $160,000 post was "not political" and that his selection was the result of a nationwide search that drew 28 applicants.
Callejo is an engineer by profession and past owner of a construction company, noted UH Vice President Paul Costello.
Callejo will replace Allan Ah San, who retires Dec. 1 after heading the UH construction program for 30 years.
Roth, meanwhile, will begin work for Lingle on Jan. 1 for a one-year "executive loan." The next year, he will be on paid sabbatical and will remain in the Governor's Office.
University officials said executive loans of university administrators to other state agencies have been done in the past. Costello conceded that in past loans the individual's salary came out of the borrowing agency's budget and not the university's.
Also yesterday, the regents unanimously approved Dobelle's proposed budget request, which calls for a 25 percent increase in UH's operations budget over the next two years. Dobelle is asking for $579 million in fiscal 2005.
The university is receiving $461 million in the current fiscal year.
The regents also approved Dobelle's recently unveiled strategic plans for each of the UH campuses, including community colleges.
But they put off action for at least a month on a Dobelle request for restructuring of the university's top administrative posts.
"It's all one state government," Costello said. He noted the Legislature cut funding for the Governor's Office in its last session, and Lingle will not have the money to pay Roth from her budget.
Costello denied that the loan of Roth to Lingle at the university's expense was an effort to win favor with the governor. Dobelle had endorsed Lingle's opponent, Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, in the governor's race.
University of Hawaii
