Posted on: Monday, November 19, 2001

Kimura replacing Morihara on PUC

Associated Press

Gov. Ben Cayetano has appointed State Comptroller Wayne Kimura to the Public Utilities Commission.

Kimura will fill a vacancy created when commissioner David Morihara resigned to work for the University of Hawai'i.

Cayetano also appointed Glenn Okimoto, deputy director of the Department of Transportation, to succeed Kimura as state comptroller. He made the announcements Friday.

Both appointments take effect Dec. 1. The interim appointments will go before the state Senate during the next legislative session for confirmation.

"Wayne Kimura has been extremely effective as state comptroller, implementing changes to increase efficiency within the (Department of Accounting and General Services)," Cayetano said. "He has spent 23 years in public service at all levels of state government. Over that time, he has amassed a great amount of knowledge and experience that will serve as a good foundation for his term at the Public Utilities Commission."

Okimoto has worked in the Transportation Department for 20 years, the last seven as deputy director.