Business key to Gov. Linda Lingle is continuing her campaign to improve Hawaii's business reputation by appointing two more Cabinet officers who say they will work to give the state a business-friendly reputation.
Lingle appointees
2 attorneys are picked to lead the
Lingle rescinds executive order on hiring
Commerce and Labor departments
Lingle taking knife to state's fat
By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comLingle named assistant U.S. attorney Mark Recktenwald as director of the Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs, and attorney Nelson Befitel as director of the Department of Labor & Industrial Relations.
Befitel is a friend of Lingle who served as her campaign legal advisor.
"I wish I had a brother like him," Lingle said yesterday at a state Capitol news conference.
Recktenwald said he had supported Lingle during the campaign by giving her a contribution but did not work for her.
The appointments are subject to Senate approval, and Senate President Robert Bunda said yesterday he had no information about either man.
"They are both individuals who we have never dealt with and are not people we really know anything about," Bunda said.
Sen. Ron Menor, chairman of the Senate commerce committee, which will review Recktenwald's appointment, said he would keep an open mind, and "I want to assure the new governor that the committee will conduct a careful review of his credentials."
r Peter Carlisle said that Bennett's experience in private practice and in government work makes him a perfect candidate for attorney general, a position that handles both criminal and civil work.
Recktenwald, 47, specialized in white-collar crime cases while working for the U.S. attorney. He also was a partner in the law firm of Marr Hipp Jones and Pepper. He served one year as a law clerk to former federal Judge Harold Fong.
Mark Recktenwald
Position: Commerce & Consumer Affairs director
Age: 47
Education: Harvard University, University of Chicago Law School
Current position: Assistant U.S. attorney
Previous experience: Partner with Marr Hipp Jones and Pepper, law clerk to former federal Judge Harold Fong
He is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Chicago Law School.
"The eyes of the business community in Hawaii and in the rest of the world will be on Hawaii to see if we can make the changes in order to make Hawaii a place where business can prosper and people don't just get by," Recktenwald said.
The Commerce & Consumer Affairs Department handles business registration, consumer affairs, cable television, financial institutions plus professional licensees ranging from barbers to speech pathologists.
Befitel, 37, a specialist in labor and employment law, is with the firm of Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert and is a former deputy corporation counsel for Maui County.
Nelson Befitel
Position: Labor & Industrial Relations director
Age: 37
Education: University of Hawaii, Arizona State University College of Law
Current position: Attorney with Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
Previous experience: Former deputy corporation counsel for Maui County
He is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and Arizona State University College of Law.
Lingle recalled that when she moved to Molokai, she rented a room in Befitel's parents' home and has known Befitel since he was 10 years old.
Like Recktenwald, Befitel said he was concerned about Hawaii's business climate.
"We need to find a new balance," Befitel said. "Both labor unions and business will be heard."
The Labor Department enforces state labor laws, unemployment compensation and the occupational safety and health laws.
State of Hawaii
