[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6087798,"mediaKeyId","2888217-1c5c8daf96a025eb581f9b0a2e2c0ba3","parentId",2888217,"title","Committee advises and consents to three nominees for Hawaii Workforce Development Council","audioSeconds",572,"startMs",1493000,"endMs",2065000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2888217-1c5c8daf96a025eb581f9b0a2e2c0ba3&start=1493&end=2065","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2888217-1c5c8daf96a025eb581f9b0a2e2c0ba3/thumbnail_1493000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087798/Hawaii/Committee-advises-and-consents-to-three-nominees-for-Hawaii-Workforce-Development-Council","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087798-5a22f4bfaaff1fb76ccd43b33a82a457/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450219&Signature=BpN45CM4M5ETdTA6kyj6iyGZJQMQN4NCeVnEj5nMLTC2SkgCeWjYlmrvHPmgNc94F~czHTHDEfqEGciHEfBa2Ki-RaWAtvGaecUo4OfyybQiVmyLmqbtxxqCXvukwBXQqx0HXjhBHrumJ8juVIOXGtKFnJ-Z4ohB~3H5Mh4Q0i3zDMk3UoC5wLsDlEICkFoKfLnckyUG0MY5kEr1MUadijzHbAcTyVXCv~3ILROlhtI0tg-HtbJBcsDwIx-wVbNyQRjeAW2yxugPPbzztAW2z4pWwU9CIFkcFcoz5irUW9ZveiTVYdqw395BYzcXMoPFXz8dypPxEduy3L3F74qiVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Committee on Labor and Technology","date","2025-04-06T06:59:04.457Z","article","The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology on April 4 advised and consented to three gubernatorial nominees to the Hawaii Workforce Development Council: Amber Akana (term to 06/30/2029), Scott Collins (term to 06/30/2028) and Pane Meotonga III (term to 06/30/2029).

Amber Akana, who described herself as deeply involved in the maritime industry, told the committee she is committed to diversity, inclusion and workforce development in maritime jobs and supporting policies that help working families access training. Scott Collins said he has served on the board since 2022 and that his public-sector and union background prepares him to help address government workforce recruitment challenges. Pane Meotonga III did not appear in person; staff noted he was traveling to Washington, D.C., on union business and submitted supporting testimony.

Committee staff and endorsing organizations recorded broad support on the hearing record. Benette Misalucha, executive director of the Workforce Development Council, told the committee that the nominees had been vetted and that the council strongly supported the appointments. Written and oral testimony in support came from organized labor and industry representatives, including United Public Workers, HGEA, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, Hawaii Nurses Association, Hawaii Ports Maritime Council, Polynesian Cultural Center and Pacific Resource Partnership, among others.

Each nomination was presented with a recommendation to advise and consent and the committee adopted those recommendations without reservations. Chair Aquino and Vice Chair Lee recorded aye votes; Senators Ihara, Moriwaki and Fevella also recorded aye votes for the group of nominations. The committee congratulated the nominees and closed the item.

No amendments, conditions, or formal direction to staff were recorded for these confirmations. Several supporters noted the nominees’ industry experience and union vetting; no opposition testimony was recorded on the hearing record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","LBT Public Hearing 04-04-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology voted to advise and consent to three gubernatorial nominees — Amber Akana, Scott Collins and Pane Meotonga III — to the Hawaii Workforce Development Council. Nominees received broad support from unions and industry groups; one nominee was absent due to union business in Washington, D.C.","taxTitle","Senate Committee on Labor and Technology, Senate, Legislative , Hawaii","taxId",25735,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087800,"Committee advises and consents to Barbara Krieg for Hawaii Retirement Savings Board after nominee backs auto-enroll opt-out",917,1129000,2046000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2888217-1c5c8daf96a025eb581f9b0a2e2c0ba3&start=1129&end=2046","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2888217-1c5c8daf96a025eb581f9b0a2e2c0ba3/thumbnail_1129000.jpg","/articles/6087800/Hawaii/Committee-advises-and-consents-to-Barbara-Krieg-for-Hawaii-Retirement-Savings-Board-after-nominee-backs-auto-enroll-opt-out","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087800-17e611aa9dd29801a00093926143a317/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450219&Signature=FnlA-yNtA5kpD8Xz1h8ZgrXF-LX9qS~gBhw1QFfJOomqvL4RfGS35ZbRzitcvYCcoTWU3Kv8beor3T6-yOCh0QFWeK~zPLmlAJT3gzAY0Im-SqLpYcHe4ZGUPhdVfzOHTzSq9XrFLzneCKRelzYhfRB~UpixNXcqp742J1fsmLf7PTNxJVQjlePkjFXr8AYYGgW1pO3uVay0jiZ0po0yvzKH0HKXzD-c4j04VvrjM3ANnZsqgdH~Qs5cLw3a91X4RmNXOBbHWvXQBDKEM-cz3dzM2F5KVEooS8YKgmzlKU4jFJ5ogwcR9o~mLmWV8uoDa1uYRSO6ptkhKpJ3aD~QIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology on April 4 advised and consented to the gubernatorial nomination of Barbara Krieg to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Board for a term ending June 30, 2029.

Krieg, who told the committee she has served on the Hawaii Retirement Savings Program Board of Trustees for the past two years, emphasized that an auto-enroll program with an opt-out provision would make the initiative more effective and affordable for Hawaii. She said the design would increase participation and make the state more likely to join a multistate compact that shares administration and investment infrastructure.

The nomination matters because the structure of the state retirement-savings program will shape how quickly workers can begin accumulating retirement assets and how much it costs to operate the program. Krieg argued that opt-out enrollment — commonly called automatic enrollment — is the “gold standard” for getting dollars into retirement accounts more quickly than opt-in designs, and that Hawaii’s small market size makes economies of scale especially important.

Krieg told the committee she previously served as the state’s human resources director from February 2011 to February 2014 and that she expects, if reappointed, to help operationalize the program within four years. “Within the next four years, I guarantee you we would have an operationalized, fully operating, robust retirement savings program with tens of thousands of participants and many hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings,” Krieg said.

When a senator asked specifically about Senate Bill 855, Krieg said an opt-out approach makes it easier for Hawaii to participate in interstate compacts that share administrators and investment options, lowering operating costs. She said an opt-in program risks leaving Hawaii an outlier that could be excluded from compacts or face higher administrative expenses if it must run a stand-alone program.

The committee voted to adopt the recommendation to advise and consent; Chair Aquino and Vice Chair Lee recorded aye votes, and Senators Ihara, Moriwaki and Fevella also voted aye. The committee issued a formal recommendation of advise and consent and congratulated the nominee.

Krieg’s written resume and testimony were submitted to the committee and are part of the record; public testimony in support was noted by staff during the hearing. No amendments or conditions were attached to the committee’s recommendation.","The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology voted to advise and consent to Barbara Krieg’s nomination to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Board. Krieg, a current trustee, told the committee an opt-out (auto-enroll) design is necessary for cost-efficiency and multistate compact participation; the committee approved her nomination unanimously.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advises and consents to three nominees for Hawaii Workforce Development Council

Committee advises and consents to Barbara Krieg for Hawaii Retirement Savings Board after nominee backs auto-enroll opt-out