Finalists chosen for open UH board seat

The University of Hawaii selected three finalists to fill an open Hawaii County seat on the Board of Regents.

The finalists are:

• Peter S. Hoffmann, a former Hawaii County council member who represented Kohala.

• Duane Kanuha, former planning director for the Hawaii County Planning Department.

• Alapaki Nahale-a, director of community engagement and resources for Hawaii Island at Kamehameha Schools.

The seat is currently occupied on an interim basis by Douglas Shinsato, a corporate executive and consultant who lives in Waimea. Shinsato replaced the late Barry Mizuno, who died in 2016.

Whoever is chosen will assume the position July 1.

They will be one of two Hawaii County board representatives. The other is Wayne Higaki, assistant administrator at North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea. Higaki’s term ends in 2021.