STAND. COM. REP. NO. 4008
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 636, 637, 638, 692
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2026
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 636, 637, 638, and 692, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:
Board of Land and Natural Resources
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G.M. No. 636 |
DENISE ISERI-MATSUBARA for a term to expire 06-30-2029; |
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G.M. No. 637 |
CALVIN YOUNG for a term to expire 06-30-2029; |
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G.M. No. 638 |
JAMES CARPIO for a term to expire 06-30-2029; and |
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G.M. No. 692 |
RILEY SMITH for a term to expire 06-30-2030, |
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by Denise Iseri-Matsubara, Calvin Young, James Carpio, and Riley Smith for service on the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
DENISE
ISERI-MATSUBARA
Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Denise Iseri-Matsubara from the Governor; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Land and Natural Resources; one member of the Honolulu City Council; one member of the Maui County Council; Department of Water Supply of the County of Hawaiʻi; SanHi Government Strategies LLP; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Koʻolau Foundation; EAH Housing; Moss & Associates, LLC; Lowney Architecture; KKL Collective; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Royal Contracting Co Ltd; Ola Maui; Howard's Nurseries Inc.; Nareit Hawaii; The Wilhelm Group; and nine individuals.
Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the nomination for the appointment of Denise Iseri-Matsubara from the Waiākea Ahupuaʻa Crown Land Heirs and nineteen individuals.
Your Committee received comments on the nomination for the appointment of Denise Iseri-Matsubara from the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi.
Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Iseri-Matsubara's experience, background, and commitment to public service qualify her for appointment to the Board of Land and Natural Resources as an Oahu member. Ms. Iseri-Matsubara's career in housing and community development began in 2005 at the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, and over the next two decades, she continued to collaborate across multiple agencies and navigate complex policy environments in service to the housing needs of the State. Ms. Iseri-Matsubara created the first housing plan for the City and County of Honolulu, facilitated the delivery of approximately three thousand housing units during her tenure as Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, and served for many years on the Hawaii Interagency Transit Oriented Development Council and the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. In her current role as Executive Director of Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation, she helps develop and manage affordable housing for senior and disadvantaged communities. Your Committee further notes that Ms. Iseri-Matsubara has served as an interim member of the Board of Land and Natural Resources since 2025 and has a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities of its members. Your Committee therefore recommends that Denise Iseri‑Matsubara be appointed to the Board of Land and Natural Resources based on her knowledge, experience, and commitment to public service.
CALVIN YOUNG
Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Calvin Young from the Governor, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Group IQ, Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, SanHi Government Strategies LLP, and nineteen individuals.
Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Mr. Young's experience, background, and commitment to public service qualify him for appointment to the Board of Land and Natural Resources as an at-large member. During the course of Mr. Young's over forty-year career in federal and state-level litigation, he has gained broad experience and knowledge in many areas of substantive law, including professional errors and omissions, product liability, commercial litigation, and personal injury litigation. Mr. Young held clerkships in the First Judicial Circuit, State of Hawaii, before becoming a senior partner with Ayabe Chong Nishimimoto Sia & Nakamura and then a partner with Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel. Your Committee notes that Mr. Young has served as President of the Hawaii State Bar Association and Hawaii State Bar Foundation and maintains active memberships with the American Bar Association and, true to his roots, Native Hawaiian Bar Association. Your Committee further notes that Mr. Young has served as an interim member of the Board of Land and Natural Resources since 2025 and has a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities of its members. Your Committee therefore recommends that Calvin Young be appointed to the Board of Land and Natural Resources based on his knowledge, experience, and commitment to public service.
JAMES CARPIO
Your Committee received testimony in
support of the nomination for the appointment of James Carpio from the Governor;
Department of Land and Natural Resources; Yamamoto Hetherington, LLLC; Hawaiʻi
Association for Marine Education and Research; Trilogy Excursions; American
Hotel & Lodging Association; Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association-Kauai
Chapter; Hawaiʻi Hotel Alliance; Mālama
Pūpūkea-Waimea; and eighteen individuals.
Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Mr. Carpio's experience, background, and commitment to public service qualify him for appointment to the Board of Land and Natural Resources as a Maui Nui member. Mr. Carpio brings more than thirty years of experience in hands-on conservation and stewardship of the State's natural resources, working as a hunter, guide, rancher, land manager, fisherman, and farmer, and currently develops innovative financing solutions for public-private workforce housing as a co-owner of Aʻaliʻi Building Systems, LLC. Mr. Carpio is a co-founder of the Maui Nui Makai Network and The Limu Hui, two organizations dedicated to restoring nearshore ecosystems and advancing traditional resource management practices. Additionally, Mr. Carpio helped revitalize the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as Chair of the Council's Fish Committee, co-founding the Waiuluku Coastal Managed Makai Area and expanding community-based marine management across Maui Nui. Your Committee further notes that Mr. Carpio has served as an interim member of the Board of Land and Natural Resources since January 2026 and has a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities of its members. Your Committee therefore recommends that James Carpio be appointed to the Board of Land and Natural Resources based on his knowledge, experience, and commitment to public service.
RILEY SMITH
Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the reappointment of Riley Smith from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Department of Transportation; Mayor of Kauaʻi County; one member of Hawaiʻi County Council; Department of Water Supply of the County of Hawaiʻi; Hoʻāla Kealakekua Nui, Inc.; The Queen's Health Systems; Hawaii Laborers and Employers Cooperation and Education Trust; Kohala Coast Resort Association; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; SanHi Government Strategies LLP; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaii Island Paddlesports Association; Parker Ranch, Inc.; Akinaka & Associates, Ltd.; Yamamoto Hetherington, LLLC; Hoku Capital LLC; Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce; Hawaiian Cement; Hawaiʻi Big Game Fishing Club; Hawaiian Telcom; and sixty‑seven individuals.
Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the nomination for the reappointment of Riley Smith from the Hawaiʻi Reef and Ocean Coalition, Big Island Reef Keepers Hui, Waiakea Crown Land Heirs, and twenty-six individuals.
Your Committee received comments on the nomination for the reappointment of Riley Smith from the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi.
Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Mr. Smith's background and dedication to serving the public qualify him to be reappointed to the Board of Land and Natural Resources as a Hawaii Island member. Your Committee notes that Mr. Smith brings extensive experience in land management, business operations, and resource stewardship on Hawaii Island, combined with a background in engineering and telecommunications. In his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lanihau Properties, LLC, Mr. Smith manages significant land holdings and development projects on Hawaii Island and regularly works with federal, state, and county agencies on land use and resource management matters. Previously, Mr. Smith served as Deputy Chief Engineer for the Department of Public Works of the County of Hawaii, accruing technical and practical expertise in infrastructure, land stewardship, and regulatory processes. Your Committee further notes that Mr. Smith has served on the Board of Land and Natural Resources since 2022, in addition to serving as chairperson, director, trustee, and member for over thirty boards, committees, commissions, councils, panels, and associations throughout the State. Your Committee finds that Mr. Smith's experience and knowledge will continue to be assets to the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Your Committee therefore recommends that Riley Smith be reappointed to the Board of Land and Natural Resources based on his experience, knowledge, and commitment to public service.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts,
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____________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair |
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