Posted on: Thursday, May 17, 2001

Maui group to solicit California investors

Advertiser Staff

Maui government, business and school officials plan a June trip to Northern California to raise interest and seek money for the island's technology-based businesses.

Maui County Mayor James "Kimo" Apana heads the delegation, which will attend reception and dinner June 14 at the Hyatt Rickeys in Palo Alto. The reception is planned by Friends of Maui, a group formed by several Maui and Silicon Valley businesspeople to develop business contacts between California and Hawai'i.

Apana will speak as part of a panel including Clyde Sakamoto, provost of the Maui Community College; Ray Kamikawa, Honolulu attorney and former state taxation director; Jeanne Skog, president and CEO of the Maui Economic Development Board; Allen Hunter, vice president and general manager of Hawai'i operations for research & development firm Trex Enterprises Corp.; and David Fradin, organizer of Friends of Maui and president of marketing consulting firm Digital Enterprises and Communications.

Keynote speaker will be Stewart Cheifet, a former O'ahu TV news reporter and host of public television show "Computer Chronicles," which in January and February broadcast a four-part series on technology industry developments in Hawai'i.

Bay Area technology business executives are expected to be the primary audience, said Skog of the Maui Economic Development Board.