Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell nominated two appointees with extensive business backgrounds to serve on the Honolulu Police Commission, but not in time to select a new police chief, which is expected to happen later this month.

The Honolulu City Council must first confirm nominees Karen Chang, a former executive with American Express and Charles Schwab, and Hilton Hotels executive Jerry Gibson before they can serve on the commission. The confirmation will likely take a couple of months.

If confirmed, the pair will replace Marc Tilker, who resigned in May for personal reasons, and Luella Costales, who resigned at the end of September after citing concerns about a lack of diversity among a panel rating police chief applicants.

If they are appointed, Chang’s term will extend through June 30, 2021; Gibson’s term would expire June 30, 2018.

The commission has been in the spotlight in recent months due to the controversy surrounding former Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who is the subject of a federal public corruption investigation and who retired in February.

The commission, which when fully staffed has seven members, is in the process of hiring a new chief. Only four commissioners will make the decision on the new chief.

Commission Chairman Max Sword had to recuse himself because of a conflict since he is related to Tommy Aiu, a finalist for the chief’s position.

Chang has been director and board chairwoman of Hawaii Pacific Health since 2009. She is also a director of the March of Dimes Hawaii Chapter, AIG Hawaii, Pacific Health Research Institute and Teach for America.

Gibson is area vice president of Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Hawaii, Oregon, Las Vegas and Arizona.

If appointed, Gibson would be the second commissioner with a hotel background, joining Sword, an Outrigger Enterprises vice president and lobbyist.

Commissioner Steven Levinson, a retired Hawaii Supreme Court justice, had previously said he would like to see others on the panel with a legal background.

But on Wednesday, Levinson said he met Chang and “I think she’s going to be terrific.”

Although he had not met Gibson, he said, “Apparently, everybody thinks the world of him.”

“As a general matter, I do believe that it’s useful for there to be as many members of the police commission as possible who” feel comfortable with legal concepts, Levinson said. “As long as people are willing to do their homework and learn, that’s fine.”

He stressed the importance of getting a full complement of seven members “because it is very difficult to do business when you’re down to a bare quorum.”

He and attorney Loretta Sheehan are the most recent Caldwell appointees.

The other two commissioners are businessman Eddie Flores, founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, and Cha Thompson, co-founder of Tihati Productions.