The University of Hawaii Board of Regents’ Presidential Committee took its first steps Tuesday toward hiring the UH system’s next leader.

The nine-member committee discussed presidential selection criteria, the composition of the selection committee that will be tasked with vetting and proposing candidates to the board, the use of a search firm and/or presidential search consultant, and community outreach strategies.

The committee discussed choosing a president who, among several other traits, will:

» Have an understanding of the unique importance of Hawaii, given the state’s size, geographic isolation, unique ecology and blend of diverse cultures; appreciate the contributions of Native Hawaiians historically and today; and be committed to Native Hawaiian student success.

» Have experience as a successful fundraiser.

» Appreciate that while intercollegiate athletics have great potential to unify and strengthen community support for the university, they could also pose potential moral and financial hazards.

» Be comfortable in an environment where government meeting laws are observed and public accountability is highly valued.

Committee leader John Holzman and other regents stressed that the selection criteria are merely the first draft of many to come.

"As it is now it’s a public document. People can feel free to take a look at it. … We just want feedback," Holzman said during the meeting. "If we as the regents who are responsible for this process don’t begin the conversation, who will?"

The regents also discussed selection committee composition and voted to recommend to the full board that 12 people serve on the selection committee: seven of the nine board members currently serving on the presidential committee; a student caucus representative; an All Campus Council of Faculty Senate Chairs representative; an Administrative, Professional and Technical (professional nonfaculty) representative; and two nonvoting representatives: one who serves in an executive or managerial position with the university, and one who is a member of the UH Foundation. The remaining two board members on the current presidential committee will serve as ex-officio members.

Board members stressed that the committee should be predominantly regents because the board is tasked with making the ultimate decision. Regent Sae­dene Ota said the public often forgets that board members have diverse backgrounds: "We ourselves as regents represent the community, too," she said.

Richard Mizusawa, a UH senior and president of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said he was pleased with Tuesday’s meeting.

"You can tell the regents are doing their homework in terms of the process," he said. "More (student) involvement is what I kind of wanted, but I think the representation is good, especially because keeping the committee to a minimum is probably what’s best."

After discussing at length whether to hire a local or national search firm, the committee decided it would be best to request proposals and consider any firm that understands the university’s needs.