Big Island board
no small development

'Big Island Mo' Bettah" was a bumper-sticker type slogan for Hawaii's largest island some 30 years ago, but people are increasingly referring to it as Hawaii Island.

A certain organization has used the latter reference in its entire 20-year life span, which it is about to celebrate with an anniversary party.

"It has always been the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board," said Rick West, interim executive director and the organization's first vice president in 1984.

Rancher Monty Richards was the first president and W. Michael Mullahey was credited as being the chief organizer, bringing the organizational concept, modeled after Maui's economic development board, to the business community.

West was firmly ensconced in a 38-year career with Bank of Hawaii back then, but retired in 1999 and started serving the board's consultant in 1999.

He was tapped to step in as interim executive director when Paula Helfrich accepted a position with the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii earlier this year, though she still serves the board part time, helping with grants.

The board would not take sole credit for any achievements, but it "has been involved with just about every economic development issue that's come down the road in the last 20 years in some way or another," West said.

"Job creation is kind of our bottom line in terms of our mission."

The board worked with the University of Hawaii at Hilo "playing a major role in University Park," he said. Several observatories' base astronomy facilities are there, adjacent to the campus. The development created hundreds of jobs, ranging from scientists to maintenance workers, said West.

"For the most part they're technician type jobs, skilled jobs."

The board also administers several federal, state and county grants for various programs. The Rural Economic Transition Assistance - Hawaii program aims to revitalize areas of the island affected by the sugar company closings in the early 1990s.

"Many new businesses were generated as a result of the program," West said.

The development board's annual meeting will precede an anniversary party at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Hawaii Naniloa Resort. Tickets are $60 and organizers are still trying to round up some old-timers who have not yet made reservations, West said.

The leadership gavel will be passed from three-year veteran and Bank of Hawaii executive Roberta Chu to Warren Lee, island manager for the Hawaii Electric Light Co. and the program will highlight the organization's first 20 years, but the evening is primarily a party, said West.