Monthly Archives: December 2003

-2002-
2002 was a year of big changes for me and some of my close friends in our group called “Pineapple Pack”: (1) I entered elected state politics; (2) Stacey Hayashi began her e-commerce, digital media, and film companies; (3) Gene Nishihira got promoted to underwriter officer in Title Guaranty; (4) Owen Iida and Ryan Sanada got into respectable law firms; and (5) Spencer Yasui began to work in the hotel industry, leaving the retail arena.

-2003-
I was told by a friend of mine that 2003 would be a year of “small battles”: (1) I began my e-commerce company following the lead of entrepreneurs Stacey Hayashi and Scott Murakami; (2) Stacey Hayashi began manufacturing her own clothing; (3) Owen Iida left practicing law to embark on a new magazine called “Hawaii Next” (an idea he got when he was rooming at my townhouse); (4) Grant Karamatsu was hired as manager for Norwegian Cruise Lines; (5) Kendall Matsuyoshi got his real estate license; (6) Brandon Mitsuda went back to college to study counseling, and is currently working for Honolulu City Council Chair Donovan Dela Cruz and Owen Iida’s magazine “Hawaii Next.”

-2004-
I predict 2004 will be a year of huge challenges. The Pineapple Pack will continue to work hard as productive citizens of Hawaii and our country. I am going to work really hard to keep pushing for a diversified economy for Hawaii. I will continue to help those who face challenges of abuse and violence. At the same time I will do my best to improve my e-commerce company to continue bringing in revenue to Hawaii from out-of-state. In 2004, I will also be up for re-election for the State House and I will go all-out with my platform for a better Hawaii.

I wish the people of Hawaii the best. Work hard and enjoy life!

I was fortunate to be one of thirty politicians across the country to be selected to the Center For Policy Alternatives' Flemming Fellows 2004 Class.

The Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute was created in 1994 thanks to a generous grant from the W.K. Kellog Foundation. The institute identifies emerging leaders from the ranks of the nation's state legislators and provides them with a unique program of values-based leadership training and sustaining support. I will be attending two Flemming Fellows retreats in 2004. The first one will be from January 2-5, 2004 at St. Petersburg, Florida. The second retreat will be in Maryland in the middle of 2004.

I was really honored to be one of forty politicians selected from thirteen states to the Council of State Governments-West's Western Legislative Academy 2003 Class from October 14-17, 2003 at Colorado Springs, Colorado.

CSG-West began the Western Legislative Academy to build stronger Western Legislative institutions and more effective legislators. The institution's focus is to strengthen the professional and personal development skills of effective lawmaking. The Western Legislative Academy supports the legislative institution and gives legislators the opportunity to learn from their colleagues in other Western states.