A former Hawaii County council member will complete a vacated term on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents. ADVERTISING A former Hawaii County council member will complete a vacated term on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents. Gov.
A former Hawaii County council member will complete a vacated term on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed Pete Hoffmann to fill the slot, which expires in June 2016.
Hoffmann, a retired U.S. Army colonel who lives in Waikoloa, said a solid foundation in education is critical for the state.
“I happen to think that the university is a vehicle for economic stability and economic prosperity in the state, a resource that needs to be used more,” he said. “The university is an absolutely critical component for this state to move ahead.”
Hoffmann served eight years on County Council. He has, more recently, been a substitute teacher at Waikoloa Elementary School. He said he remains very interested in education and education issues.
The position is an interim one, subject to state Senate approval, and represents all of Hawaii County.
He replaces Carl Carlson, who was one of four UH regents who resigned in advance of a new state law requiring additional financial disclosures from people serving on state boards and commissions.
From 1993-96, Hoffmann was director of mission support for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a 55-nation diplomacy organization headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
Prior to that, he served in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps. His assignments included 25 months in Vietnam, two years in Chiangmai, Thailand, and four years in Hawaii, where he finished his duty with the 25th Infantry Division. He also served three years in Munich, Germany, with an Army Intelligence Group and two years on the U.S. Army staff in the Pentagon.
He was commander of an intelligence battalion at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey; commander of a recruiting battalion in Boston; and commander of the POW/MIA team in Bangkok, Thailand.
He also served three years as a military attache for the U.S. Embassy in Vienna.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Hoffmann graduated from St. Peter’s College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and received a master’s degree in history from New York University. He and his wife, Joan, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Email Erin Miller at emiller@westhawaiitoday.com.
