Senate Confirms Transportation Director, Deputy Director

The Hawai‘i State Senate voted to advise and consent on Jade Butay as the Director of the State Department of Transportation (DOT) and Roy Catalani as the Deputy Director of the DOT.

PC: Hawai‘i Senate

Butay’s prior experience include serving as the Deputy Director of the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Deputy Director for the State Department of Transportation. He also served as a legislative assistant and budget analyst to a congressional aide and management consultant. Butay has his Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Finance and Accounting from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He earned his Master’s degree from Babson College in Massachusetts.

“For those of us who have been lucky to know and work with Jade, we recognize him as a person whose character embodies the values of hard work, determination, grit, and decency,” said Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye, Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy. “By approving Jade’s nomination as the Director of the Department of Transportation, we will ensure continuity and a seamless transition for the department.”

Roy Catalani previously served as vice president of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs for Young Brothers, Limited. Prior to that, he was a partner in the law firms of Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, then Catalani Nakanishi & Caliboso, as well as Rush Moore. Catalani has served as the chair of the State Land Use Commission and deputy director of the Office of State Planning. Catalani holds psychological and political science degrees from the University of Oregon and his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law. He is a member of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association and the Oregon State Bar.

“Roy is recognized as a person who values hard work, fairness, integrity, and diplomacy,” said Sen. Inouye. “His confirmation will ensure legal continuity and a seamless legal transition for the DOT.”