STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1337

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NO. 520

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 520, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of:

Comptroller, Department of Accounting and General Services

G.M. No. 520

KEITH REGAN, for a term to expire at noon on 12-07-2026,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Keith Regan for service as the Comptroller for the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Keith Regan from the Governor; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Taxation; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Public Safety; Department of Human Services; Department of Agriculture; Department of Education; Department of Health; Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Defense; State Procurement Office; Office of Information Practices; Enterprise Technology Services; Office of Elections; Hawai‘i Tourism Authority; Hawaii Public Housing Authority; State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; Mahi Pono; Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association; Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3; Hawaii Harbor Users Group; Matson Navigation Company, Inc; Boy Scouts of America Troop 325; and sixty-two individuals.

Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Keith Regan's experience, knowledge, and proven leadership qualify him for appointment to Comptroller at the Department of Accounting and General Services. Your Committee finds that Mr. Regan has served as the interim Comptroller since December 2022. For almost twenty years, Mr. Regan has worked at both the state and county levels, in various executive management positions, including at the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Tourism Authority, and Department of Management and the Department of Finance of the County of Maui. In these leadership positions, Mr. Regan has proven his commitment to public service and ability to lead with a clear vision.

Your Committee finds that Mr. Regan is uniquely suited to the role of Comptroller. Mr. Regan earned a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He also completed the Senior Executives in State & Local Government program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Coupled with his public administration and government service-focused education, Mr. Regan's professional duties throughout his career have allowed him to sharpen his knowledge and skills in the areas of general supervision, finance, budget, compliance, procurement, emergency management, information technology, and more. The efforts he has made to develop professionally provide him with a solid foundation and acumen to perform the duties of Comptroller.

Testifiers acknowledge that he is dedicated to achieving administration goals in an honest, transparent, accountable, and responsible manner and that he has the essential management, policy-making, and decision-making skills to lead coordination efforts with private, state, and county agencies. Testifiers also praised his expertise of government operations and his innovativeness and responsiveness in times of crisis. Additionally, Mr. Regan's prior public service demonstrates his ability to improve operational capabilities and long-range program planning. Testifiers also praise his commitment to community-minded volunteerism through active participation in various capacities at organizations such as the Aloha Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, and Kiwanis Club of Honolulu. Your Committee therefore recommends that Keith Regan be appointed as Comptroller based on his knowledge of government operations, honed management and interpersonal skills, and proven leadership.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations 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 Government Operations,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair