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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-08-29 Special Meeting of the Merit Appeals Board Minutes SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MERIT APPEALS BOARD Puna Conference Room Hawai`i County Building 25 Aupuni Street, Room 1501 Hilo, Hawaii August 29, 2013 CALL TO ORDER The Special Meeting of the Merit Appeals Board, County of Hawai`i, was called (Item 1): to order at 11:00 a.m. by Chairperson Kenneth M. Rowe, at the Puna Conference Room, Hawai`i County Building, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 1501, Hilo, Hawai`i, on Thursday, August 29, 2013. ROLL CALL Present: Mr. Kenneth M. Rowe, Chair Mr. Jubilee N. Kuewa, Vice-Chair Ms. June R. Rabago, Member Absent: Mr. Brian J. De Lima, Member Also Present: Mr. Ronald K. Takahashi, Director, HR Department Ms. Sharon Toriano, Deputy Director, HR Department Mr. Lincoln Ashida, Corporation Counsel, Ofc. of the Corp. Counsel Mr.Nicholas Hermes, HR Manager III, HR Department Ms. Jamie Martins, HR Assistant, HR Department Ms. Glynis Yamada, Secretary-Reporter, HR Department Members of the Public Present: Mr. Maile Etherton, Union Agent, HI Government Employee Association Ms. Lorena Kauhi, Union Agent, HI Government Employee Association Ms. Aileen Hermes Employees of the Department of Human Resources ADDENDUM TO The Chair directed the Board to the next order of business, Addendum to AGENDA Agenda. (Item 2): (There was none.) STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Board to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public. PUBLIC (Item 3): (There were none.) APPROVAL OF The Chair directed the Board to proceed to the next order of business, MINUTES Approval of Minutes. (Item 4): (There were none.) Special Meeting of the Merit Appeals Board August 29, 2013 COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Board to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS Communications. (Item 5): (There were none.) NEW BUSINESS The Chair directed the Board to proceed to the next order of business,New (Item 6): Business. (There was none.) UNFINISHED The Chair directed the Board to proceed to the next order of business, BUSINESS (Item 7): Unfinished Business. SELECTION OF NEW DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES; DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE PERMITTED INTERACTION GROUP REGARDING THE SELECTION OF NEW DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES; PRESENTATION BY CANDIDATES (FOR THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES POSITION) The Merit Appeals Board anticipates convening an executive meeting regarding the above matter, pursuant to Section 92-5(a)(4), for the purpose of consulting with the Board's attorney on questions and issues pertaining to the Board's powers, duties,privileges, immunities, and liabilities, and Section 92-5(a)(2)to consider the hire of a County officer where consideration of matters affecting privacy will be involved. A 2/3 vote pursuant to Hawai`i Revised Statutes, Section 92-4 is necessary to hold an executive meeting. Mr. Ashida informed the Board Members that prior to this morning's meeting, he discussed with Mr. Takahashi the manner in determining which candidate would be the first to present their presentation before the Board. The most effective way would be by the flip of a coin—heads or tails. The Board agreed that whoever wins the flip, will get the option to go first or defer to the other person. Chair Rowe stated that since Mr. Nick Hermes arrived first, he would make the call. Mr. Hermes announced"heads." Mr. Takahashi flipped the coin into the air, which landed on the floor, and called it as "tails." Ms. Sharon Toriano won the toss and was given the opportunity to go first or have Mr. Hermes go first. Ms. Toriano asked Mr. Hermes whether he'd like to go first or second and Mr. Hermes replied he would go first. Mr. Hermes introduced himself as Nicholas or"Nick"Hermes and stated that he's present today to make his case as the best and most suitable candidate to be the next Human Resources Director of the County of Hawai`i. He recognized his wife,Aileen Narido Hermes, who was present at the meeting. He thanked her for Page 2 Special Meeting of the Merit Appeals Board August 29, 2013 all of her love and support, and for all that she does for their family and community, and for being with him today. Mr. Hermes shared some highlights concerning his family (raised in South Windsor, Connecticut), high school years, acceptance and graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, meeting and marrying his wife and raising a family, and his human resource work background at both the County and State levels (SEE ATT. A). Mr. Hermes acknowledged former Human Resource Directors Mike Ben and Ron Takahashi and commended them for their technical expertise, leadership, vision, and influence on multiple levels as well as their contribution to the design and implementation of Civil Service Reform in the early 2000's. Mr. Hermes thanked Mr. Takahashi for taking the time and energy to teach and mentor him. Mr. Hermes shared his vision, initiatives and policies, and thoughts concerning the employees of the Human Resources Department, carrying out and supporting the Department's initiatives and prerogatives, and building solid and cooperative relationships between departments through regular communication and information sharing. Chair Rowe thanked Mr. Hermes for is presentation. He called upon Ms. Sharon Toriano to make her presentation. Ms. Toriano thanked the Board for the opportunity to provide a presentation and stated that she's very fortunate to have the honor and the privilege of serving Hawai`i Island in her current capacity as Deputy Director. She said that her background, experience, knowledge, and ability are captured in her application, and will be sharing other aspects moving forward. Ms. Toriano conveyed that in the last three years, the County has had significant process change, such as how driver's licenses are issued or the manner in which we recruit, and the need to prepare in order to address changes in how our work is performed. As team leaders, we're continually challenged to become more efficient while maintaining the quality of service and delivering them with aloha. Ms. Toriano addressed maintaining partnerships with our various stakeholders as we continue to work on the needs of our community, as well as union needs at the local level. Ms. Toriano informed the Board that she has worked for ten different CEO's, each with a different direction that was set in place and embarked on. Flexibility, perseverance, and the ability to work collaboratively as a team are qualities which she possesses and believes that our stakeholders demand and expect. Page 3 Special Meeting of the Merit Appeals Board August 29, 2013 Chair Rowe thanked Ms. Toriano for her presentation. Chair Rowe asked whether anyone wanted to say anything and, if not, would entertain a motion to go into executive session. Motion for Executive Ms. Rabago moved to convene an executive session. The motion was seconded Session: by Mr. Kuewa. The voice vote, was as follows: AYES: Board Members Kuewa, Rabago, and Chair Rowe—3. NOES: None. ABSENT: Board Member De Lima— 1. EXCUSED: None. RECESS: The Chair called for a recess at 11:25 a.m. RECONVENE: The meeting reconvened at 12:34 a.m. Motion to Defer: Mr. Kuewa moved to defer the selection of the Human Resources Director to its next meeting on September 18th. The motion was seconded by Ms. Rabago. The voice vote, was as follows: AYES: Board Members Kuewa, Rabago, and Chair Rowe—3. NOES: None. ABSENT: Board Member De Lima— 1. EXCUSED: None. Chair Rowe informed the candidates that they will meet on September 18th at 11:00 a.m. and that they be prepared, if needed,to answer additional questions. He thanked everyone for attending. DIRECTOR'S The Chair directed the Board to proceed to the next order of business, Director's REPORT Report. (Item 8): (There were none.) SCHEDULE NEXT The Chair directed the Board to proceed to the next order of business, Schedule MEETING DATE Next Meeting Date. (Item 9): The Merit Appeals Board will convene a meeting on Wednesday, September 18th, 11:00 a.m., at the Department of Human Resources Conference Room. Page 4 Special Meeting of the Merit Appeals Board August 29, 2013 ADJOURNMENT There being no other business, at 12:35 p.m., Chair Rowe declared the meeting (Item 10): adjourned. Respectfully submitted, k, Glyni Yama a Secretary APPROVED: CjS4"----nneth M. Rowe Chair ST/gy Page 5 August 29, 2013: Submitted by Nicholas Hermes 15 Min. Presentation Outline Introduction Aloha, my name is Nicholas "Nick" Hermes and I'm here today to make my case as the best and most suitable candidate to be the next HR Director for the County of Hawaii. In the next 15 minutes, will briefly share highlights of my background, why I'm pursuing this opportunity, and, if selected to serve, what my core initiatives would be as the HR Director. However, before I begin I want to recognize my wife, Aileen Narido Hermes, who has taken time off from her work as a Special Education Teacher at Hilo Union Elementary School to be here again in support of me through this process. Thanks Honey for being here with me today, I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have you here with me. Thank you for your love and support, and all that you do for our family and our community. Background I was raised in the town of South Windsor, Connecticut which is a suburb of the State Capital of Hartford, and came from modest beginnings. My parents were both educators in our town's public school system and making ends meet was generally tough for my parents in what was and remains a very high cost of living area of the Country. To help pay the bills, my father also worked on a house- painting crew in the greater Hartford/Springfield MA area for nearly 30 summer vacations. I worked alongside him for 4 of those summers in high school and those were my first experiences of what hard work and sacrifice really was and how important it was to get a good education. In my high school years, I excelled academically and was a multi- sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. Driven by a desire to serve my Country, obtain an outstanding college education, and the need to help my family financially, I competed for and obtained acceptance into the United States Military at West Point, a process ATT. A that also included competing for and securing a nomination from then Senator Christopher Dodd - the longest tenured Senator in Connecticut's history. I graduated from West Point on the Commandant's List - a designation for only those Cadets who excel academically, physically, and militarily. Given my class rank, I had the opportunity to join the relatively small and select field of Army Finance and the coveted duty station of Schofield Barracks, HI. Just as a side note, it's at Schofield Barracks as a young Lieutenant that I met Aileen, also a Lieutenant who obtained her commission from ROTC at Arizona State after graduating from Waiakea High School. I vividly remember the first time I met her and, to my dismay, how disinterested she was in me. I spent the better part of the next year or so trying to get her attention and convincing her to play tennis with me, a sport that I had little to no real experience in. Luckily for me, she eventually changed her mind and decided I was an alright guy worthy of introducing to her family. September 11th changed the lives of many Americans. Among other things, it contributed to my duty station change to Fort Bragg, NC - home of the Airborne and Special Operations and probably the most involved military installation in terms of the war on terror. During my service there, I was selected out of numerous other company grade officers by higher command to be the first Finance Officer to deploy a team in preparation for the invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom). In early January 2003, I boarded a large military transport plane in command of a detachment of personnel, vehicles, and equipment and initially headed to Kuwait. Over the next 8-9 months, my team and I helped establish a dispersing network of approximately one hundred million U.S. dollars in Kuwait and Iraq to support regular and special military operations, including numerous rebuilding efforts after the initial invasion of Iraq. To date that was the most uncertain and difficult task I've ever been responsible for. Looking back, it's hard to believe I was 27 years old at the time. More importantly, I thank God that those under my charge came home safely, and we cared and accounted for every cent in some of the worst conditions imaginable. That experience made Aileen and I re-consider what we wanted in life and more than anything, we wanted to live in peace, be together on a regular basis, and raise a family in a community that would value these same things. Together we decided, given that we both exceeded our service commitments, the best thing for us was to resign our commissions and start a family here on the Big Island, specifically in Hilo. I look back on those times now and I truly believe that was one of our best decisions in our life. In the summer of 2004, we packed up what little we had and drove cross country from North Carolina to California and from there to Hilo, HI. Aileen almost immediately began work as a Special Education Teacher and I pursued a HR Specialist vacancy at the Department of Public Works. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my professional life changed forever when, then Deputy Director of Public Works Ron Takahashi, hired me. Why I Want the Position On that note, I want to transition to why I'm applied for this position. My first reason for seeking this appointment is that I appreciate and remember that the County of Hawaii is the organization where some of its leaders gave me an opportunity when I first came to Hawaii Island in 2004. While you have my application that outlines my experience where I've served in capacities of progressively greater responsibility and scope in public sector Human Resources. What the application doesn't address is the quality of mentorship I've had over that period of time. I can tell you that no one in the State of Hawaii has had better role models and mentors than I have had. The County of Hawaii in particular has historically had outstanding HR Directors. The two that I've been associated with, Ron and Mike, have been the best in the business from their technical expertise, leadership and influence at multiple levels, and vision. Among many other designations, they worked alongside the architects of collective bargaining law and they contributed to the design and implementation of Civil Service Reform in the early 2000s. Ron, in particular, has over the years devoted a substantial amount of his own time and energy teaching me as much as he could. Without Ron's teaching, mentorship, and seemingly endless patience, it's a fact that I would not be here today able to even compete for this position. The best way that I know how to say "thank you and from the bottom of my heart that I will never forget" is to follow in his footsteps in the very place that gave me a chance. Considering all that's been given to me, I whole-heartedly volunteer for the challenging assignment of HR Director with the hope of humbly serving for many years to come and making a positive difference to the County and the Island of Hawaii along the way. Second, we have great people in our department and I simply want the responsibility of being their leader who will care for and support them each day over the long term. Of note, all but 2 of our current managers are eligible for retirement and in the coming years and our Department is inevitably going to experience a significant transition. I want the responsibility of building our department for the future and believe that I have the most administrative experience and ability to evaluate talent and place people in opportunities where they can succeed. Third, the County of Hawai`i's HR Director is a critical position in terms of its multiple, and at times conflicting, responsibilities of supporting and carrying out management's initiatives and prerogatives, recognizing the rights afforded to employees and their representatives, adhering to the multiple authorities that govern terms and conditions of public employment, and measuring what is in the public's best interest. The interplay of all of these factors is complex and it takes someone with the upmost honor, integrity, responsible judgment, and technical knowledge to make independent, well thought out decisions. I believe it's a position that I'm uniquely qualified for in that I may be the only person in Hawai`i's small public sector HR community that has held departmental human resources and central human resources positions at both the State and County level. My record demonstrates that I've grown and transitioned into an administrator and leader in public sector HR because these positions routinely placed me in progressively more complex situations where I had to balance some or all of the agendas I've just discussed. Thus far, I've proven that I have been able to serve with honor, integrity, and increasing expertise and professionally I'd love nothing more than to continue my service in this capacity. Core Initiatives if Selected as Director If selected to serve, I have 2 core initiatives to pursue; however, to understand these initiatives, you must first understand the challenges that I'm anticipating we'll face. Challenges that I see in the future: • Slow, incremental improvement in real-property values through the coming years • Continued struggles to maintain a fair portion of transient accommodations tax revenues (TAT) • Increased demand for public services as our population gradually increases, and ages • Maintained demand for improved wages and other terms and conditions of employment by employees and their representatives, some who have to endure years of temporary wage cuts • A generational shift in the workforce placing greater financial stress on Health and Retirement Systems and tax operations who will lose numerous experienced employees at all levels • As a result future County government may face more pressure to hire fewer, less experienced employees who will shoulder greater workload and responsibilities To best position our HR department to contribute to finding solutions to challenges such as these, my core initiative will be to ensure that our HR department has a clear identity that is relevant, yet is basic in concept. A common question that I've seen asked throughout the public sector is - what does central HR do versus HR Offices in departments? The answer to this question varies by jurisdiction and has evolved somewhat since the advent of civil service reform and the subsequent fiscal crisis. I believe the best answer for the County of Hawaii is that the HR department is the central policy making body for the County that outlines and organizes the core procedures for HR management and also serves as the centralized "back room" processing center of personnel actions to ensure correct and uniform application of varying authorities that govern public employment. HR Offices in Departments on the other hand are the front counter, customer service point of contact for their operations, carrying out HR policies developed by the HR Department and submitting actions for standardized processing. While our current design is close to this framework I just described, there are areas of opportunity where we can contribute and thereby provide greater support to the County. Secondly, Ron has done a fantastic job of building relationships throughout our organization, particularly with our administrative counterparts - Office of the Corporation Counsel and the Finance Department. I too am a firm believer that having solid, cooperative relationships between departments is critical to our mutual success and those relationships are fostered with regular communication and information sharing.