Ige appoints former HPU executive to Board of Education

Gov. David Ige has appointed the former vice president and chief financial officer of Hawaii Pacific University Kenneth Uemura to the Board of Education.

Ige also reappointed Brian J. De Lima, whose current term representing Hawaii County will end June 30. De Lima will fill the school board’s at-large seat held by Donald Horner, who resigned from the BOE effective June 30. De Lima’s term will begin on July 1 and will end on June 30, 2017.

Patricia Bergin will take De Lima’s Hawaii County Seat, and Bruce Voss takes the at-large seat currently held by Patricia Halagao. Both terms begin on July 1.

Uemura will fill the City and County of Honolulu seat currently held by Amy Asselbaye, whose term expires on June 30. Asselbaye served as chief of staff for Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

Uemura was named the 2010 CFO of the Year by Pacific Business News. He has also served as treasurer/executive vice president of finance at RESCO, INC./Prudential Locations; chief financial officer and corporate treasurer and secretary at Pomare (Hilo Hattie); and Senior vice president and controller at C. Brewer and Company. He has also worked for Jas.W. Glover Holding Co., Persis Corporation and DeLoitte Haskins & Sells.

Uemura is currently self-employed as a business consultant, providing expertise in corporate turnaround and restructuring, debt restructuring and business plan execution.

Uemura is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He is a Vietnam veteran and has a black belt in karate.

Uemura serves a three-year term starting July 1 through June 30, 2019.