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Murashige, Laura COMA 32i,
From: Riley Smith [rsmith @lanihau.net]
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2013 7:19 AM
To: COH - Council (counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us)
Cc: J Yoshimoto (joshimoto @co.hawaii.hi.us)
Subject: Testimony in favor of BJ Leithead-Todd to Director of Department of Environmental Management
Attachments: bj leithead-todd Itr of support- DEM - by riley smith 070613.pdf
Council Chair Yoshimoto... .The attached testimony is provided in favor of Ms.
Todd's appointment as Director of DEM.
Riley
Riley Smith, P.E.
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Comm. No. 3 24 "242
Ref. To: P/C41( .1C*7
Ref. Date JUL 1'0 Zu13
7/8/2013
Riley W. Smith, P.E.
P.O. Box 6633
Kamuela, HI 96743
(c) (808) 936-7129
rsmith(c Ianihau.net
July 6, 2013
J Yoshimoto, Chair
Hawaii County Council
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Via email: counciltestimony(c�co.hawaii.hi.us
Re: Support of Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd, Director,
Department of Environmental Management
County Council meeting, July 10, 2013
My name is Riley Smith and I am providing testimony in favor of
Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd's confirmation as Director, for the
Department of Environmental Management. I've known Ms.
Leithead-Todd for over twenty years, ever since I moved to Hawaii
island back in 1993.
Let me tell you a little bit about my background and my familiarity with
Ms. Leithead-Todd's qualifications. I am a licensed professional
engineer in the State of Hawaii. I have been licensed for 33 years. I
was appointed by Mayor Stephen Yamashiro in 1993, as the Deputy
Chief Engineer for the Department of Public Works. At that time,
DPW included both Wastewater and Solid Waste Divisions. A
subsequent charter amendment created the Department of
Environmental Management and transferred these two divisions out
of DPW, into DEM. While at DPW, I had the primary task of
overseeing both Wastewater/Solid Waste Divisions. So, I am familiar
with the complexity of these two Divisions that are subject to
oversight and sanction by the Federal Environmental Protection
Agency. In 2001 , I was appointed by Mayor Kim to the
Environmental Management Commission and was its Chair in 2005.
Ms. Leithead-Todd was a Deputy with the Office of the Corporation
Counsel at the time and was assigned to DEM. Since DEM had been
recently created, Ms. Leithead-Todd was responsible to manage the
organizational setup, procurement of services, CIP projects and
understood the responsibilities of the administration of this
Department. Subsequently, Ms. Leithead-Todd was the Director of
DEM, appointed by Mayor Kim from May 2007 to December 2008.
She participated as the Director of DEM, when the prior waste to
energy proposal was not approved by the former Council.
So, Ms. Leithead-Todd has served the County of Hawaii as Deputy
Corporation Counsel, County Councilperson, Director of
Environmental Management and Planning Director. Her legal
background is essential to running the Department as so many of the
job requirements include contracts, legal review and permit
compliance. These tasks are more administrative, rather than
requiring a technical engineering background. She knows how to
deal with complex issue and work with Federal and State regulators,
as well as with other County agencies. She understands the State
Procurement Code and how to get things done. Because of the
above attributes, she meets the minimum job qualifications of
relevant "experience in a related field".
For these reasons, I support the confirmation of Bobby Jean
Leithead-Todd as Director for the Department of Environmental
Management.
Aloha,
f r
Riley W. Smith, P.E.