STAND. COM. REP. NO. 580

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 522

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 522, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

 

Director of the Department of Transportation

 

G.M. No. 522

FORD FUCHIGAMI,

for a term to expire 12-3-2018,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by the nominee and finds Ford Fuchigami to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to be Director of the Department of Transportation.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Ford Fuchigami from the Office of the Governor; Department of Budget And Finance; Department of Taxation; Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; County of Hawai‘i Office of the Mayor; Mayor of the County of Maui; Department of Transportation Services, City and County of Honolulu; Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawaii Transportation Association; Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, LLP; Kapolei Properties LLC; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1186; Airlines Committee of Hawaii; Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association; Pacific Division, Matson, Inc.; Starwood Hotels and Resorts; Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Fund; Young Brothers, Limited; Laborers' International Union of North America Local 368; Hawaii Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust; Hawaii Pilots Association; Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters; Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; Outrigger Enterprises Group; Building Industry Association of Hawaii (BIA-Hawaii); KYA Design Group, Inc.; Filipino American Citizens League; National Federation of Filipino American Associations Region 12; Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc.; Ironworkers Stabilization Fund; and thirty-six individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that Ford Fuchigami received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, with a minor in Communications, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

 

     Mr. Fuchigami currently serves as the Interim Director of Transportation.  Previously, Mr. Fuchigami served as Acting Director of the Department of Enterprise Services of the City and County of Honolulu; Interim Director of the Department of Transportation; and Deputy Director, Airports Division, of the Department of Transportation.  He also has extensive experience in the private sector in marketing, sales, and information technology.

 

     Your Committee further finds that in response to your Committee's questionnaire, Mr. Fuchigami noted that his strengths include an extensive background in management and team-building.  His facilitation and listening skills have allowed him to have very positive collaborations throughout his career.  He feels his non-engineering background actually serves as a positive since he brings a different perspective to the "business as usual" mindset that can sometimes be deeply rooted in certain professional fields.  Mr. Fuchigami's experience in the private sector has also given him an idea of how quickly projects can be accomplished which will help him to improve the Department of Transportation's project development processes to be more efficient with timely results.

 

     Mr. Fuchigami testified that in the next few years, he will focus on keeping airports and harbors modernization projects on-schedule and within budget.  He will also work to eliminate delays in highway improvement projects while keeping the public informed along the way.

 

     Your Committee notes the common thread in the testimony received in support of Mr. Fuchigami is that he has the ability to work collaboratively to identify and resolve complex issues, all the while keeping in mind his service to the public.  He is honest, transparent, accountable, and responsive.  He exemplifies competence, courtesy, and professionalism.  Most importantly, he gets the job done.  For example, when Mr. Fuchigami oversaw commercial and general aviation airports, he was facilitative and collaborative in the construction of Kona International Airport and other critical transportation projects on the Island of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee believes that the Department of Transportation will benefit greatly from Mr. Fuchigami's leadership.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair