UPDATE: Committee Endorses Mizuno, Carlson as Regents

The Senate Committee on Education on Friday voted unanimously to approve Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s picks to fill the two Hawaii County seats on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents.

The nominations go next to the full Senate.

One, Carl Carlson, Jr., was originally appointed as a regent by former governor Linda Lingle. Abercrombie has nominated him for an additional term ending in June 2106

Carlson is the founder of Hu‘ehu‘e Ventures, a real estate and consulting firm. He is a former trustee of the Parker Ranch Foundation and has served on the Hawaii County Board of Ethics, the state Board of Agriculture, the Historic Hawaii Foundation and the Hawaii Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.

Abercrombie’s other pick, Barry Mizuno, is a former manager of Puna Geothermal Venture and energy consultant who has served as an interim regent since last summer. Mizuno, an accountant, was previously a finance director and managing director for Hawaii County.

Mizuno was named to the interim post in July 2011 after the Senate committee several months earlier rejected Abercrombie’s first picks, Sandra Scarr of Kailua-Kona and Patrick Naughton of Hilo. If approved, Mizuno’s term would end in June 2013.

Members of the education committee also voted unanimously to approve two other of Abercrombies regent picks. They are student member Jeffrey Acido, for a term ending June 2014 and Kauai County member Tom Shigemoto, for a term ending June 2017.

The UH Board of Regents formulates policy and oversees the university system through the university president. The board is composed of 15 regents, nominated by the Regents Candidate Advisory Council, appointed by governor and confirmed by the state Senate.