2021-02-10 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

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Merit Appeals Board Unfinished Business (Item 7) February 10, 2021 Election Of Merit Appeals Board Chair And Vice -Chair For Calendar Year 2021 (Note: At Its Meeting Held On February 26, 2020, The Board Postponed This Matter (The Election Was For The Current Year 2020); And This Matter Was Postponed On December 16, 2020) CHR. NAMAHOE: We do have in front of us, the "Unfinished Business" for discussion and appropriate action. And that is the Election of the Merit Appeals Board Chair and Vice -Chair for Calendar Year 2021. As everyone knows, my tenure ended on 12/31/2020I'm within the remaining the push out period is the quarter thereafter. So, this is my last meeting and this is the part that I have great pleasure in supporting. So, I am going to sit here and play a passive role as I look to my four colleagues—two online—Mr. Ventura who lives in Kona; Ms. Hughes who lives on the Hilo side but both of them, I will not speak on your behalf—as well as we have our two new members, Ms. Mathews and Ms. Cabanas. So, we are now at the position to—let me read this note. At our meeting that was held on February 26, 2020—almost a year ago the Board postponed this matter, which was the election for the current year 2020 and this matter was postponed again on December 16, 2020. So, a little history here. We, last year, we had—it sounds like we had quorum struggles, which is almost not entirely accurate to say because we did have quorum—and I thank you for my two colleagues online because you attended every meeting that I did and I appreciate that. But we were at a position where we watched two of our other members step off, and on an annual basis we vote in a new chair and vice -chair. So, I held over through 2020 just for continuity because Mr. Ventura and Ms. Hughes were new members and I know how it goes to be reluctant to jump in feet first. It's always best to audit the process in front of us. Well, now we're here and we have our two members, Mr. Ventura and Ms. Hughes—you've been here for at least a year—and we have both Ms. Cabanas and Ms. Mathews who've been here now 20 minutes. So, with that, I'm going to yield so that you guys can discuss amongst yourselves how you would like to go forward in your 2021. MS. HUGHES: Thank you. And thank you so much for extending your service, and I know it seems very natural that Mr. Ventura and I will—should be the ones to jump in. As I have expressed previously, I chair another board that has two meetings a week and I'm in charge of helping some very ambitious capital campaigns. And as chair and president of that board, I don't feel that I have the ability to be consistent and as dedicated, as needed, to be the chair but I'm happy to volunteer to be vice -chair. Page 8