STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3383

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 603

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 603, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

 

Director, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development

 

G.M. No. 603

MARY ALICE EVANS,

for a term to expire 12-31-2026,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Mary Alice Evans for service as the Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

 

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Mary Alice Evans from the Office of the Governor; Business Development and Support Division of the Department of Businesses, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Health; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Department of Agriculture; Department of Transportation; Department of Accounting and General Services; Hawaii State Energy Office; Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority; Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office; Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Land Use Commission; Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority; Hawaii Technology Development Corporation; County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; and fifteen individuals.

 

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the nomination for the appointment of Mary Alice Evans from one individual.

 

     Upon review of the testimony and the nominee's personal statement, your Committee finds that Ms. Evans' background, experience, and commitment to public service qualify her for appointment as Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

 

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Evans has extensive experience in various state leadership positions throughout her longstanding public service career.  Your Committee notes that Ms. Evans has been serving as the interim Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development since May 2023 and has previously served as its Director from May 2019 to December 2022.  In addition to her service in the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Ms. Evans has also served as the Interim Director and Deputy Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Interim Comptroller and Deputy Comptroller; and Special Assistant for Research in the Office of the Governor.

 

     Ms. Evans is active in her community and is affiliated with various professional organizations throughout the State.  In addition to other positions, she has served as the President of the Hawaii Chapter of the American Planning Association.  She is also a member of the Hawaii Economic Association, Hawaii's Thousand Friends, and the Urban Land Institute.  Ms. Evans holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California Santa Barbara and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

 

Testifiers frequently highlight Ms. Evans' institutional knowledge which gives her a solid understanding of the issues before the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and contributes to her ability to navigate through the complexities of the public policy process and formulate public policy.  Ms. Evans' experience, effective leadership, and utmost dedication to the job and the community will continue to be assets to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.  Your Committee therefore recommends that Mary Alice Evans be appointed as Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development based on her experience, knowledge, and commitment to public service.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land 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 Water and Land,

 

 

 

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair