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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, March 14, 2002

Tourism director's selection muddled

By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Writer

The chairwoman of the Senate tourism committee said yesterday that she will propose legislation to require Senate confirmation of a new executive director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, D-15th (Kalihi Valley, 'Aiea), said she will propose the language be added to a House bill because of concerns that members of the authority have predetermined the selection of the new executive director without a diligent review of all applicants.

Kim said several people told her that the majority of the authority's executive-search committee already privately has chosen Paul Casey, Hawaiian Airlines' vice chairman and chief executive, to take over for interim executive director Rick Humphreys.

The authority, the state organization charged with overseeing $61 million in tourism marketing money, has said its national search for a visionary leader has drawn more than 120 applications.

Roy Tokujo, chairman of the authority's board of directors and one of the five members on the executive-search committee, denied yesterday that Casey had been privately chosen.

"It is completely untrue," said Tokujo. "I haven't even talked to Mr. Casey myself. As far as I'm concerned, he has not even applied."

Casey was out of state yesterday and could not be reached for comment. But Keoni Wagner, senior director for corporate communications at Hawaiian Airlines, said Casey said "he had been approached by several people in the business and tourism communities about the position, but he has told them all he's still vice chairman and CEO at Hawaiian, and he has not applied for the position."

Tokujo, who is also president and chief executive of Cove Entertainment, said the five-member search committee will meet tomorrow to discuss using a search firm to enlarge the pool of candidates.

"There is no way that we've made this decision," he said. Tokujo said the committee hopes to select the next executive director in the next two to three months.

Humphreys, who has indicated he may step down or reduce his time commitment before a new director is named, expressed caution yesterday about hurrying the process.

"This is a very important position for our state," said Humphreys. "To make sure you do select the right person, you can't be in a rush."

Humphreys also said there has been no informal selection of Casey, or anyone else, as his replacement.

Humphreys pointed out that the governor already must approve the executive director's salary — and therefore the person — and said he had no objections to a requirement that the Senate confirm a new director.

"If the Legislature wants to do it, any individual who takes this job should be able to stand up to the scrutiny of anyone," said Humphreys. "That should not be a roadblock in any way."

Authority board member Keith Vieira yesterday took issue with the lack of confidentiality swirling around what should be a closed process to protect the privacy of the applicants.

For high-powered candidates, "it makes you more wary of discussing the job," said Vieira, who is also senior vice president of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. "It makes it tougher for qualified people to come forward."

Vieira said Casey's name might have been mentioned to a search firm as someone who has the type of resume the board is targeting. Vieira added that he hoped Casey would indeed become a formal applicant.

Kim said yesterday that she is proposing the legislation because she is concerned about the potential of repeating what happened with the authority's former executive director, Robert Fishman, whose selection process and contract came under fire in a recent state auditor's report.

Because the authority did not maintain a complete file relating to Fishman, it was unable to prove the selection was well justified, Kim said, referring to specific passages in the state auditor's report. "If there is no documentation to support the selection," asked Kim, "how was the decision made?"

Casey's qualifications for the position are not an issue, added Kim.

"What I'm concerned about is the process," she said.

"I'm concerned that it may already be a done deal...while the public is led to believe that they are following an agreed upon or open process."