Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services

Aloha, everybody. Mahalo. And thank you for joining us for today's health and human services hearing, Tuesday, 04/07/2026. We were originally scheduled at 03:20. We apologize.

We had a meeting that ran late on the financial plan. Conference Room 225 is being streamed live on YouTube in the unlikely or perhaps likely event that we have to abruptly end this hearing due to technical difficulties. We'll reconvene to discuss any outstanding business at 03:30pm, Thursday, 04/09/2026 in Room 225 with a public notice posted on the legislature's website. And, we do have a one minute committee timed of a testimony. We probably won't need it.

We'll just throw that out there. So if we abruptly stop you, it's because we wanna try to keep everybody going. Okay. With that being said, we're gonna jump right back jump into it. But first up was we have governor's message 661, great prefix.

This one is consideration and confirmation to the Center for Nursing Advisory Board gubernatorial nominee, Giovanna Apo, for return to expire 06/30/2029. And testifying I'm gonna first read off the people who've testified in support of the nominee, then we'll bring the nominee up, and have them just say a few words. So oh, there she is on Zoom. Okay. Testifying on behalf of the nominee is Laura Reichardt of the Hawaii State Center of Nursing.

Good afternoon. This is Laura Reichardt. Thank you so much for, hearing this, this, GM for Jovan Oppo. She has been our interim advisory board member since the summer. She has done a very good job representing, what is a very important and hard to reach group of nurses for us, which is nurses still working in that clinical role.

She's, she is in that case manager role. And so we're very grateful for her voice and representation, and we really encourage you to, approve her nomination. Alright.

Appreciate your being here, Laura. That's all the testimony we've received in support of the nominee. Anybody else here wishing to testify in support or not in support of the nominee? Seeing none, we'll have the nominee there, miss Sapho. So, go ahead.

Thank you very much.

If you want, you can give the committee a statement, and then we'll probably just ask you a question or two.

Sure. Aloha. My name is Giovanna Poe. I'm a patient care coordinator. I've been a nurse for twelve years.

I'm happy to be here and happy to answer any questions you might have.

Okay. I'm really that's what I like to hear. Real quick. Just one quick question. I saw on your questionnaire that, you know, you several of the things that you're hoping the board will explore during your tenure.

Do you care to share any of them with the committee and why you feel it's important?

I think, nursing workforce, I just hope to be a good representation of the work the actual nurses that are working on the bedside, working with patients currently. I have experience working in inpatient and now outpatient care. So I think, you know, getting nurses into the workforce, getting new grads exposed to different positions and things like that is some really big issues that the Hawaii State Center for Nursing is addressing, and I'm just happy to be a part of it and help in any way I can.

Okay. Alright. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. That's all the questions I have, and I'm the only one here.

So

Thank you so much.

Preacher, no. I really like what you were just saying there about exposure to the different areas of nursing. That's something important in developing a robust pipeline. So thank you for those comments.

Absolutely.

Okay. We will move on to the next nominee that's up. This nominee was for six six two, which was Olivia Kim for the nursing advisory board. However, miss Kim, could not be here today, and so we're gonna reschedule the nominee. And so a new date will be determined for her.

Okay? Just give me one second. You got all sorts of things going on. Okay. Next up is we have let's see. You're saying this is

where we're having issues with the next nominee?

I'm gonna just say in case my husband's.

Okay. Next up is we have governor's message 664. This is for Amy Thomas for the Center for Nursing Advisory Board. 06/30/2029 will be the end of the term. First up to testify in support of the nominee is, again, Hawaii State Center for Nursing.

Aloha. Thank you again for hearing this nomination. Amy Thomas and I have worked together since I started in my role in '24 2015. Wow. She has been really engaged in many strategies with the Center for Nursing, including supporting continuing competency, nurse residency programs, supporting clinical education.

She has helped us improve our nursing workforce supply survey by providing that feedback about what employers are hoping to learn as well. So she's been a very engaged partner and we would be very pleased to have her. She's also been serving in the intern role just as Giovanna has been Okay. Since this summer.

So So they're an important component of the board already then?

Yes. They're a very important component of

the board. Okay. Thank you for that. I appreciate the background. We also have Academy for Healthcare Innovation.

They have submitted written testimony in support of the nominee. We have Art Gladstone, Hawaii Pacific Health. All stand on Art's

Okay. Thank you very much. In support, of course. Yeah. The comments.

No. Just kidding. Let's see. It's it's it's one of those rainy days. You're right?

Let's see. We have the professor and dean of nursing in Hawaii Pacific University. They have submitted written in support. And then we also have an individual, Clementina sorry. I butchered the name, Caria Ulep.

They have submitted written testimony. I know I'm really making a mess of this. Forgive me. But they have submitted testimony in support. That's all the written we received for the nominee.

Anybody in the audience who wishing to testify for the nominee? If not, we'd like to have to go ahead and have the nominee, come up and say hi.

Good afternoon, Vice Chair. My name is Amy Thomas. I am the system chief nurse executive for Hawaii Pacific Health, and I also oversee and am the director of clinical education, employee health and well-being, and workers' compensation. And then I am an adjunct faculty member in the school of nursing at Hawaii Pacific University. And I am so honored, to be considered, to serve on this advisory board, and I'm available for any questions that you may have.

Okay.

Well, we really appreciate you, Mina. It sounds like you're already there doing work with the advisory board. To the question of the last nominee, you know, what are the one the things or the issues that you would like to see the group focus on in your this upcoming tenure?

Well, I'd like to just start by saying I hold the work of the Center for Nursing in such high regard. I think they are just a North star in our state for nursing excellence and the work that they've been able to do for continuing competency and for new graduates and for continuing education and all of the workforce and the nurse well-being initiatives that they've led.

So I have really appreciated their partnership, and that aligns very much with the work that I have done across my twenty six years of being a nurse in Hawaii. A nurse, a nursing leader, a nursing educator, I still teach and have for the last twenty three years. So I think that I bring a perspective on the academic practice partnership that's really, really important.

Okay. And I think I bring the employer and the nurse perspective from just a a workforce in recovery.

Yeah. I like that a lot. Yeah.

That's a good focus.

Yeah. And I think the well-being piece. And then, of course, in nursing, just so much, around what we can do to decompress the work of the nurse. I think that there's just a lot, that we could do in innovative ways, and I'm really excited to be able to partner, with others like Giovanna, and other advisory members and other, nurses across the state, in support of advancing nursing and nursing excellence.

Really appreciate you, especially decompression. I think that's a big issue that we're trying to so too.

Support you guys on. Okay. I'm the only one here. That's the questions I have. So thank you for being here.

We really appreciate you stepping up to continue to serve in this important. Thank you for your consideration.

Oh, our our pleasure. Okay. So next up, we will go to GM701. This is for the good old Tri Isle County sub area planning count Health Planning Council, Judith Mikami. And this is for a term for 06/30/2030.

And we have Gupta.

Alright. Vice chair, tell me, this is an important nominee for us. All the way from Molokai. She came to be here today in person With her husband. It'll take her weeks to get back, apparently.

Yep. But Judy McCormick actually worked with me when I was director of health. She's been around for a while. She is, you know, she's a trained nurse. She's got an RN, an Miles per hour.

She has been an expert in diabetes education. She worked at Molokai Molokai Hospital in a direct in a bunch of roles. She's even been, if you will, the Rural Health Association. She's been representative to State Rural Health. She's been the past president of that association.

Wow. So in diabetes, she works with kidney disease and chronic disease in general. Many accolades, research papers, and accomplishments through a stellar career. We're really, really happy to have her, as a member of our TRISAC and a real Molokai member who's gonna be terrific.

That's huge. That's huge. Yes. It really is huge. Appreciate you being here and emphasizing that.

Okay. That's all the written we've received in support of the nominee. Anybody else in the audience who would like to testify? If not, there's a nominee here. We like to have them come on up if you want and say a statement, or you don't have to.

Doc doctor Lewin did an amazing job. Sorry. Director Lewin did an amazing job of speaking to you. We Okay. In case we can't.

Can we try to see if we can? Okay. Great. Hello. Hi.

Welcome from. So just I'm having you just give us a brief statement, you know, to the committee and then maybe a question or two.

Yeah. My name is Judy Mikami. I was born and raised on Molokai

Wow.

And lived there most of my life. Only going away for school. Although nursing is my chosen career, I've kind of worked in different community organizations and written grants for health organizations. I think my passion for making sure that Molokai is on the map And access to care and information on health equity is for Molokai on Molokai even if we have to be shared. Yeah.

You know, everything, sorry to say, is Maori centric. I'm just saying

I know from my side, we know exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So

so it's just my I feel honored to be working with doctor Lewin again and his staff. I just hope to be, at my age, a bridge to continuing the information, going to Wolokai, especially in this age of all these acronym driven initiatives, which I'm sure I'll get to learn. I'm learning. So any other questions? But

I I think you provide a super important needed voice since we do health transformation and we have technology interceding, more places like Molokai get left behind, and there's no, you know, ability to get the needs met through innovative new ways, especially when it comes to pharmaceutical support, specialists, and things like that. So I really appreciate the fact that you're coming back on to ensure the voice will be heard, especially as we go through this rural health transformation grants.

And for it too, because with everything that's been happening, you know, I think we tend to we get to prioritize which what's important. So, you know, we own just aside, we own the oldest independent pharmacy in the state. It's 91 years old.

And my husband is a second pharmacist as after my dad And the third generation with our daughter. So that's one angle that I hope to also preserve the community community based.

I absolutely agree with a 100%. We just heard a reso today that was problematic that we got amended. So I would totally support what you're saying. Okay. And thank you so much for continuing to serve and being a great part of the team that director Lewin's putting together over at SHIPDA.

Because at my age, I wanna receive the services. Yeah.

I know. Right? I was saying that too fast. Thank you so much. We appreciate you being here and for continuing to serve the state of Hawaii.

Thank you.

Okay. Alright. We will move on to the next one on the agenda, which is GM709. This is for the mental health and substance abuse Oahu service area board. Ruminatorial nominee, Raven Savi Saviye.

Of course. Yeah. Me. I do the bus bust them all up. To, yeah, for term for 06/30/2030.

And let me go ahead. First, what we do is we just see we'll go ahead and list all the people who testified in your support. So first up, we have, Randall Hack, individual written in support. We have Ryan Mandato, individual in support. Kelsey Nagata.

If any of you are here

I can I'm none of them, but I will offer

Okay. Testimony. Okay. Sounds good. We'll just go through the written submitted, then we'll get get to you.

Chelsea Nagata again, individual in support. We have Leighton from Aldrich Ulep in support. Gina Kaluuya in support. Florele Lopez in support. Natalie Million in support.

And Patrick Camiso, all written all in support. That's all the testimony in support of the nominee or for the nominee we've received. Is there anybody in the audience who wishes to testify? Just wanna stand on your oh, both of you wanna come up or you just wanna stand on your written Come on. It's up to you guys.

I don't know. Come on.

We got you one minute. Yeah. Go for it.

Hi. Nicholas Riley. I'm here in support of my wife, Ravensel. Yeah.

Oh, okay.

She is not gonna be able to be summarized in one minute, but her help with the community is just absolutely astounding and amazing and inspirational to me. She is involved with the National Institute of Mental Health. She started the health and wellness committee in the group in the prosecutor's office for whom she was a deputy prosecuting attorney for seven years, eight years. Wow.

She you know, the Honolulu County Committee for the status of women, she's you know, like I said, I've run out of time, but she is fantastic.

She's got the human element by being the prosecuting attorney for so long. She connects with people. She's a leader. She you know, national speech competition winner, etcetera. She is absolutely inspirational and is perfect for this.

So Awesome. Thank you. Thank you for for being here testifying. Alright. You wanna come up and testify?

Okay. Thank you, sir. Yep. Thank you.

Get this minute. As somebody that has struggled with substance abuse for many, many years. She has been a huge support system in her solving her problems and supporting me and just really being there, you know, to get me tapped into the community. And I've realized over the years that it is really, really, really hard to find support in our state. You know, it's like, are you in and out of jail, or are you a high functioning person, you know, that just is trying to find help?

And she has been somebody that has shown up to support and, you know, guide me. And so today, that's why I showed up. It's because I was relapsing, and she had this going on. And I wanted to come here and just tell you guys, like, we need help. You know?

Thank you for being here and testifying in support of her.

And thank you for listening. Thank you, sir.

Always here for you, man. Okay. Anybody else in the audience wish to testify on behalf of the nominee? Seeing none, we'll have the nominee come up.

Good afternoon, vice chair.

Good afternoon.

I prepared a short statement that I'm gonna read.

Let's go, please.

I'm told that by one of the nominees from our

Oh, no worries. To

learn the hard way.

Go ahead.

My name is Raven Savoyeha, and I'm honored to be before you as a nominee to the mental health and substance abuse Oahu service area board. I currently serve as a legislative attorney for the Hawaii State Senate Judiciary Committee and Senator Carl Rhodes.

No. Okay. Then I know you. We've seen each other.

My professional life has been rooted in public service, and I have long believed that the best public institutions are those that treat people with dignity, fairness, and humanity. My interest in this appointment is deeply personal. I live with bipolar one disorder, one of the reasons I sought this opportunity is because I care deeply about destigmatizing serious mental illnesses. Too often, mental illness is still met with misunderstanding, fear, or silence.

I believe it is important for people to see that someone living with a serious mental illness can also live a meaningful, stable, and fulfilling life, especially with the right treatment, support, and community.

I want to serve not only as a board member, but also as a visible example that recovery, purpose, and public service are possible. I know firsthand the importance of access to care, continuity of care, dignity, and trust in the system systems meant to support us. That lived experience mental health policy must include the voices of people who have personally navigated these challenges.

If confirmed, I would hope to bring thoughtful judgments, empathy, and a strong commitment to reducing stigma, improving access to care, and helping build a behavioral health system that is more responsive, compassionate, and worthy of public trust. It would be a privilege to serve on this board and to contribute to its work on behalf of the people of Oahu.

I'd be honored to serve, and I hope my presence on this board can reflect a simple truth, that people living with serious mental illness deserve not only care and support, but also the chance to lead, contribute, and thrive. Thank you for your consideration, and I welcome any questions you may have.

So much for being here, and thank you for your statement. And as one who actually has ramped PTSD from my behind a fire and other things, I know exactly Yeah. What you are talking about. So it for you to step up and serve in such a public capacity is really a huge thing. Like, you've got good experience with the prosecutor's office. You worked with my good friend over there. I mean, of all the bills you see moving in the issues, because this kind of knowledge and experience is important for the board and so far as what how they can guide our efforts over here.

So out of the different things, what would you as a board member flag, for lack of a better word, is issues that we should keep examining or issues that are potentially we should be looking at?

Well, there's a lot of service area gaps with the Department of Health and stabilizing specifically, like, crisis support and step down care. I noticed in this session when we were we heard some bills about ACT positions, like, zero being granted ever since the enactment of that law. Yeah. And that's disappointing. And why? There there needs to be more transparency and accountability as to we we tried to pass this great, well thought out law, the ACT law, but it's not working.

Yeah. So staying on top of that and being accountable and working with stakeholders, especially listening to the director of health is why why these positions can't be granted. But there's also such a huge short shortage in the workforce for mental health professionals too. So I think my biggest my biggest priority and what I would want to emphasize is to reduce stigma. It's talking about it, normalizing the conversation, Bringing people to the table and being able to be honest with themselves about how they're really doing.

That's when people can start really connecting and caring and being back involved with their community.

They want to help each other. People, stakeholders in numerous avenues would be willing to move heaven and earth for more mental health legislation or appropriations. And I serious I I think that that's the root cause for a lot of our dysfunction in our society is the lack of services for mental health. And COVID, for whatever it was, shone a huge spotlight on mental health issues.

I was so grateful for that, that people started to talk about it a little more because people started to understand isolation and what it does when you're not connected to another human being for so long.

Yep. It's this it's this focus on empathy, compassion, inclusive inclusiveness, and accountability, and transparency. These are traits that I wanna bring to the board. And I got my diagnosis in the middle of law school. No worries.

And I got through it. I got access to care. I was supported by my community, but that required me to ask for help. And that that is oftentimes the biggest hurdle. And that's why reducing stigma, I think, is should be will will be and is my number one priority is to talk about it.

We gotta talk about it. It's a human problem.

Well, Aye, for one, really appreciate you stepping up and being on this board. I think your message and your you know, is one that definitely is needed. So thank you for being here. Thank you for offering to serve the state of Hawaii.

Thank you.

K. We will move on to the next one, which is governor's message seven two three. This is for the Health Planning Council, Tri Isle County Subarea, which would be Maui County. Penny Koval for a 06/30/2030 term, which will then expire by that date. Is it she having

Oh, oh, there she is. Yeah.

Okay. Sounds good. Hi. Hey. Sorry about that.

We're getting notes flung in the out of all over the place. I feel like I'm in a pitching in a, so pardon me. Okay. We have first testifying on your behalf, Penny is SHIPD.

Thank you.

Okay. Senator McKelvey, thank you very much for for running this hearing today in the storm. We have excellent candidates coming for our tryout. But this Penny Covell is an amazing candidate as well. She has, you know, she's had a nursing history.

She got started out at the University of Hawaii Maui for her associate degree, then she went to the Western Governors University for bachelor's and master's. And she would got through all kinds of experience as a nurse, ICU, emergency department, med surge wards, all that kind of stuff. And she came back home And she worked at Maui Memorial Medical Center and at Kula Hospital where, actually, I spent quite a bit of time working as a physician back in the day.

And she went to then she went on to be the assistant hospital administrator. Now she is the hospital administrator for Maui Health, for Kula, and for the, for Lanai Medical Center.

So we're getting this terrific representation coming in with people that know the community, have leadership roles, are respected, and that's Penny. She's gonna be a terrific, like Judy, she's gonna be a terrific part of our our Trisac group. We're planning to make some real changes. We've got rural health and we're just grateful to have this kind of quality of a person willing to service.

Absolutely agree with you. Thank you for being here, director, and for your testimony. That's all we received insofar as testimony for the nominees. Is there anybody in the audience who wishes to testify for the nominee? Seeing none, we have the nominee on there.

So Penny, go ahead if you wanna give the committee a statement on why you'd like to serve in this capacity and any other thoughts you might wanna share.

Yeah. Sure. Thank you for the raving review there, director. As he mentioned far off the mark, though.

Well, you know, I mean, I really I believe that my strength and my contribution lies within sort of rising through the ranks and boots on the ground. I've been incredibly passionate about taking on positions that allow me to influence the way that care is delivered to our communities. And you know, who better to do that than somebody who kind of knows the community very well.

For some reason, my emergency department background seems to follow me because there always seems to be some sort of disaster that occurred just as I take on a new leadership. And I don't know if you were aware, but I've been actually promoted to the assistant CEO position just in November.

Oh, wow. Okay.

And then three weeks ago, our Kona low storm presented us with the wonderful gift of evacuating the hospital. So, I'm I'm on a I'm quite a record here of disasters after promotions and advancements. But what that did do

You didn't get promoted yesterday, did you?

No. No. I'll let you know the next time I get an offer for the next position. Yeah.

Please warn us so we can let the MEMA know. Okay.

But what that does is it really exposes me to the ability to continue to make connections with different areas, different interdepartmental agencies, and sort of feeding into the whole, like, we can't do this alone. We have to build the connections with one another. We have to kind of join forces and figure out what one another's strengths are and where our vulnerabilities lie to make the community and the state as a whole perform better for its people.

And so that's what I'm hoping to bring to this, and I'm I'm so grateful for the opportunity to contribute in whatever way I can.

Really appreciate you being here. I look your background is very, you know, well qualified, but particularly because you worked at Kula Hospital and Maui Memorial. One of the issues we're wrestling with is, of course, long term care and trying to free up these critical care beds to get them into long term care. Some discussions have happened, you know, insofar as trying to maybe look at an entity to handle all the long term care for the hospital. What are your thoughts on that?

Is that something where you feel you can weigh in with the sub area group to try to foster some kind of solution?

Yeah. I think that there's I think that there's room for collaboration. I think that it should probably be joint in terms of who is responsible and how we do it. And again, it speaks to kind of like leveraging one another's strengths. Right?

I also believe in this abundance mindset that, you know, maybe historically, there was quite a competitive nature between who got what and who should have what service line. And I really like, I believe that there's plenty of problems to go around.

And it's all sort of taken equal bite out of it, and everyone should do their share. And it all sort of sorts itself out in the end. And I'm committed to kind of influencing what I can within my own internal organization to really buy into that whole like, let's all paddle in the same direction. Let's all roll up our sleeves together and and be equal partners in and then the lawsuits.

No. I appreciate that perspective, and thank you for that. Because that's what it's really gonna take on these very complex issues, especially on my mind. Well, I am still the only guy here, so thank you so much, Penny, for the the appreciate the committee's you know, letting the committee grill you. I'm just kidding.

But thank you again for for being here, and we will hopefully do decision making at the end. But if we do have to postpone it, we'll let you know for the actual vote. But thank you for being here and willing to serve.

Thank you for the time.

You bet. Okay. Let's see. Next up, we have governor's message seven five four. Again, this is the Tri Isle County Sub Area Health Planning Council.

This is Kathleen Hagen. And the term would end on 06/30/2029. Let's see. We have testimony on behalf of the nominee first from Chipda.

Senator Toby, Jack Lewin, Chipda? We've met before, I think.

I think we might know each other a little bit.

But, you know, this is another stellar nominee. You know, we are really we're really upgrading these councils with people that are gonna help us make the the decisions we need to make. You've heard the last two people were terrific. This person, Kathleen Hagen, is also a terrific part. She's already served on our council, so she's coming back the second time Good.

Yeah. At the with the acclimation of her fellow members of the SAC. So Kathleen is you know, has a not only nursing degree, but she's an advanced practice RN. She's had an amazing career, actually. She her nursing experience took her to New Zealand, Nicaragua, Chile, Spain.

She did work some research work at University of California, a little some Kaiser Permanente in on the Mainland. But she's been she's a mainstay central figure at at at Maui, Maui where she is a professor and she is a program coordinator. She runs a campus health center there. She has a lot of roles and a great history. I know when we were there, you know, the mayor, everybody knows her.

So this is a third fantastic candidate who's really here to offer great service, make sure we spend the rural health money in the right way. Make sure the head grant moves in the right way. So we're just really proud to have her back for a second term.

Very much so. Thank you for your testimonies, sir. Okay. We have Lydia Yu, individual, testifying in testifying in support of the nominee. We have late from Linda Beckenor for the Hawaii American Nurses Association, And they have submitted written in support.

That's all the testimony we received on for the nominee. Anybody in the audience wishing to testify for the nominee? Seeing none, Kathleen, you're on the mic, so go ahead. And, if you'd like to give a statement to the committee, please go ahead.

Yeah. Aloha. Thank you for the opportunity. As you've heard, I have served on the board previously, and I'm excited about the opportunity to continue, especially having this ahead, grant funding, money to work with. As you've heard, I have a background in programming and data analysis prior to becoming a nurse twenty five years ago.

You know, I work in workforce development, training nurses for a community, and we interact with a lot of the facilities, you know, in terms of, clinical partnerships as well as volunteer opportunities. My personal interest, is really an intersection between human environmental health. So currently planetary health, I do a lot of advocacy work in healthy eating, active living, as well as tobacco. Sustainability is really a lens that I bring and encourage the council to look at. I know I've heard from Doctor.

Lewin that it's not Medicare and Medicaid services priority, but I think it needs to be a priority in our state. So that's something that I like to support and remind in terms of the needs of Mariah County.

That's very important. I appreciate you bringing that prevention, as they say, is definitely worth well, an ounce of is more than a pound of cure. So I think that is a good perspective, although it may not be in the wheelhouse per se, but to ensure that that's part of the rollout, you know, for health care coverage and services. So thank you for being here. We really appreciate you offering the step up and serve.

I don't have any questions of you. Kinda know you. It makes it easier. Right? But thank you again for willing to sip of service, especially with the the head start grants and these world transformation efforts that's going on.

You being on the board, I think, will be a good voice to ensure that we're addressing all aspects of health care delivery. Thank you, Kathleen.

Okay. It looked that brings us, I believe oh, we got one more. Sorry. My bad. Okay.

Thank you.

Next up, we finally have seven nine one. This is a board of certification for operating personnel wastewater treatment plants. Virgilio Viernes for a term to expire '0, 06/30/2029. I believe we had him before, but there was a technical issue. And so I believe we have Virgil, you there?

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. Go ahead. Fire up.

My name is Virgil Viernes. I'm a grade four wastewater operator. Started my career at Lahaina Wastewater for

the county of Maui, rose to the ranks. I believe this will be my fourth term applying for for the board of certification. I've been up and on the board for roughly fifteen about fifteen years now. So, yeah, I'm just applying to continue and serving the state of Hawaii and also most importantly all the operators within the wastewater field.

Thank you so much, Virgil. Appreciate you. I've known you for a long time, brother. So I don't have any questions to ask you myself, but I appreciate you stepping up and I appreciate you helping us coordinate so we could have you here for the committee to step for this position. Okay?

Thank you for having me again, sir.

Yeah. Thank you, sir. Good to see you. Okay. See you.

With that, we actually have oh, moly. Yeah. I think I could grab one more. It's gonna be a cool hatch. Aura.

Wow. Yes. Okay. We're gonna just take a very, very, very brief recess for, like, like, five seconds. Reset.

Welcome back to the hearing on several governor's messages. We'll just get right into it. First recommendation, governor's message six six one, Giovanna Apo, for a term to expire 06/30/2029 for the Center for Nursing Advisory Board. Great nominee recommendation is to advise and consent. Members, questions, comments?

If not, advise and consent six six one.

Recommendation is to advise and consent on GM661. Chair San Buenaventura?

Aye.

Vice chair McKelvey?

Yes.

I vote aye. Senator Cabo Pulole?

Aye.

Senator Fevella is excused. Our recommendation is adopted.

Okay. Thank you. As noted before, GM662, we're gonna have to reschedule them due to technical difficulties. They could not be here to join us. Moving on, this GM664, Center for Nursing Advisory Board, Amy Thomas, term 06/30/2029.

Great nominee. Recommendation is to advise and consent. Members questions, comments? If not, advise and

consent. Noting Senator Fevella as excused. Any other members with reservations? Any no votes? Recommendations adopted.

Okay. Thank you very much. Health Planning Council Tri Isle County Subarea. Governor's message seven zero one. This is Judith McCommie.

Great qualified individual. We'll bring a voice to Molokai in rural areas to this group. So our recommendation is to advise and consent. Members questions, comments? If not, advise and consent.

Senator Fevella has excused. Any other members with reservations? Any no votes? Your recommendation's adopted.

Okay. Next up, for the mental health and substance abuse, Oahu service area board gubernatorial nominee, Raven Seville. I will do this right one day. I promise you. For term to expire, 06/30/2030.

Very inspirational individual with a compelling life story who I think will add a powerful voice to the group. So a 100% advise and consent. Members, questions, comments? If not, advise and consent. Seven zero nine.

With With 100% of advice and consent for g m 709, any members with rec with reservations or no votes? Recommendations adopted.

Okay. Thank you very much. 7 23 Penny Koval for the Tri El County sub area, gubernatorial nominee. Another well qualified individual who's positioned well within the healthcare delivery system. And with that, I recommend advise and consent.

Members, questions, comments? If not, 723 advise and consent.

Senator Fevella is excused. Any other members with reservations? Any no votes? Recommendations adopted.

Okay. Next up, GM seven five 4. Again, Tri Isle County sub area, gubernatorial nominee, Kathleen Hagen, for the term 06/3029, which it will end. Again, great nominee. We'll do great work.

And so with that, we would like to advise and consent. Members, questions, comments? If not, advise and consent, 754.

Senator Fevella is excused. Any other members with reservations? Any no votes? Recommendations adopted.

Okay. And finally, my good friend Virgil from the West Side, 791 Virgil Viernes for a term to expire 06/30/2029. Certification of operating personnel for wastewater treatment plants. Good individual, very well qualified, and a member of the community. So recommendation is we advise and consent.

Members, questions, comments? If not, 791, advise and consent.

Senator Fevella as excused. Any other members with reservations? Any no votes? Recommendations adopted.

Okay. Thank you and congratulations for your service. Let's take a quick picture, shall we?