- ACECH-GCA-AIA – Kyle Kaneshiro, The Limtiaco Consulting Group
- Board of Water Supply – Brian Sekiguchi, Ronald N.S. Ho & Associates
- City and County of Honolulu – Dean Nakano, Brown and Caldwell
- County of Hawaii – Bruce Meyers, Okahara and Associates
- County of Kauai – Jason Soriano, Okahara and Associates, Inc.
- County of Maui – Garrett Tokuoka, Austin Tsutsumi & Associates
- Dept. of Accounting & General Services/Dept. of Education – Tyson Toyama, Okahara and Associates
- Dept. of Transportation – Michael Kamaka, Bowers + Kubota
- Education/Scholarship – Eric Arakawa, The Limtiaco Consulting Group
- EEA Banquet – Carly Kaneko, Austin, Tsutsumi & Associates; DeAnna Hayashi, Austin Tsutsumi & Associates
- Emerging Leaders – Grant Harrington, Yogi Kwong Engineers; Bryce Kanemura, Kraig K. Otani & Associates, LLC.
- HCES – Dayna Nemoto-Shima, Pacific Geotechnical Engineers, Inc.
- Legislative – Charles Jury, Okahara and Associates
- Membership – Sean Sugai, Ronald N.S. Ho & Associates
- NAVFAC – Robin Lim, Geolabs
- Nominations – Sheryl Nojima, Gray, Hong, Nojima & Associates
- Public Relations/Events – Tiffany Tabbal, Manageability, LLC
- Risk Management – Scott Hayashi, SSFM International Inc.
- Symposium – Dawn Szewczyk, HDR
- University of Hawaii – Matthew Fujioka, Okahara and Associates
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Puna Kaneakua, AECOM
- Wastewater Engineering and Construction – Garrett Leong, Brown and Caldwell
- Climate Resiliency – Jami Hirota, Coffman Engineers
Committee Goals (2025-2026)
- Participate in meetings with GCA, who is spearheading and managing the group, and AIA representatives to working together for the betterment of the industry through the following: Collaboration within the A/E/C industry; Open discussions on issues facing each industry and how we can resolve them to reduce conflict; Learning from each other for a better product for the client; Collaboration on code/permitting related issues
- Plan and coordinate group functions with GCA and AIA (i.e. Networking meetings, continuing education, etc.)
- Refer to ACECH Bylaws (Article IV, Section 2).
- Held 30 days prior to the annual ACEC Board of Directors meeting.
- Installation of newly elected ACECH Officers and Directors.
- Minimum of 15 member firms shall constitute a quorum.
- Vote on Annual Dues.
- Promote and assist in planning the City, County and State Symposium by arranging BWS participation.
- Meet regularly with BWS Officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Identify BWS projects that could possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Promote and assist in planning the City, County and State Symposium by arranging CCH participation.
- Meet regularly with City Officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Identify CCH projects that could possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Oversee ACECH’s participation in the City and County of Honolulu Stormwater Utility Stakeholder Group
- Promote and assist in planning the City, County and State Symposium by arranging County participation.
- Meet regularly with County Officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Inform membership committee of prospective neighbor island firms for membership.
- Look for opportunities to bring ACECH events to the neighbor islands in-person or through webcasting or other technologies.
- Identify County projects that could possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Promote and assist in planning the City, County and State Symposium by arranging DAGS/DOE participation.
- Prepare and conduct annual DAGS ACECH salary survey.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Meet regularly with DAGS and DOE officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance evaluations, and other related issues.
- Identify DAGS and DOE projects that could possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Promote and assist in planning the City, County and State Symposium by arranging DOT participation.
- Meet regularly with DOT Officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Work with DOT to find a way to speed up contracting.
- Identify DOT projects that could possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Continue meeting with DOT to discuss OH rate audit process.
- Facilitate the ACEC scholarship program.
- Assist with the promotion of the engineering profession in general and our ACECH engineering firms in particular to help attract new engineers and other technical staff.
- Partner with local schools to increase interest in our youth in science, math, and engineering.
- Partner with UHM in increasing engineering enrollment, curriculum, etc.
- Prepare fundraiser to provide funds for scholarship applicants.
- Plan and execute EEA, typically, held in January/February.
- Goal is to get at least 6 member firms to submit entries for at least 8 projects.
- Work with Marketing Firm to market and increase event’s visibility.
- Make recommendations for any individual awards.
- Foster learning opportunities and fellowship among engineers
- Plan professional development events and activities
- Encourage past and present ELP participants to serve on committees and attend ACECH events.
- Work with ACECH lobbyist to plan and execute the upcoming legislative session.
- Meet with legislators to discuss legislation that affect the A/E/C industry.
- Increase participation by members in the legislative process.
- Work with ACECH lobbyist to track bills that affect (beneficial or detrimental) engineering businesses. Inform member firms of these bills and ask for testimony.
- Help to increase member contributions to ACECH/PAC.
- Provide opportunity of members to meet with elected officials.
- Develop and implement active recruitment and retention strategies.
- Recruit new general and affiliate member and firms.
- Recruit firms who were previously ACECH members.
- Explore the possibility of holding a future USACE / NAVFAC Symposium.
- Meet regularly with NAVFAC Officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Explore opportunities to secure speakers for the Annual Meeting, General Membership Meetings or Symposium.
- Identify NAVFAC projects that can possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Plan the City, County and State Symposium.
- Work with the EEA committee to establish a Public Relations plan to promote and advertise the ACECH Engineering Excellence Awards to the general public. (PBN articles, Advertiser and Star Bulletin articles, TV, etc.)
- Work with Education and Membership committees to promote ACECH and its accomplishments to member firms, government agencies, and the general public through social media or through community service projects.
- Assist with the promotion of the engineering profession in general and our ACECH engineering firms in particular to help attract new engineers and other technical staff.
- Develop a Social Media strategy
- Monitor content in the ACECH website.
- Work with various liaison committees to provide 3 Pau Hana’s per year. Each Pau Hana will have the specific purpose to network with colleagues and one government agency.
- Plan and coordinate at least one risk management program (seminar, workshop, or short course, etc.) per year. This could be a half-day program in addition to the usual monthly meetings.
- Respond to member requests regarding unfair terms and conditions, etc.
- Plan and execute City, County and State Symposium
- Work with committee chairs to secure speakers for the symposium
- Volunteer on the day of the symposium to assist with the event.
- Promote and assist in planning the City, County and State Symposium by arranging UH participation.
- Meet regularly with UH Officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Work with the College of Engineering to boost enrollment in the engineering program and fill vacancies in the Hawaii workforce.
- Identify UH projects that could possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Explore the possibility of holding a future USACE / NAVFAC Symposium.
- Meet regularly with USACE Officials to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Explore opportunities to secure speakers for the Annual Meeting, General Membership Meetings or Symposium.
- Identify USACE projects that can possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Promote and assist in planning the City, County and State Symposium by arranging WEC participation.
- Meet regularly with WEC administration to foster dialogue on issues involving A-E contract terms, procurement, consultant performance, and other related issues.
- Explore opportunities to meet and greet with agency staff and member firms.
- Discuss engineering rates and fee structure to ensure that they are fair and equitable.
- Explore opportunities to secure speakers for the Annual Meeting, General Membership Meetings or Symposium.
- Identify WEC projects that can possibly be entered into the EEA.
- Explore options for how the agency can participate/attend EEA w/o breaking gifting rules.
- Plan and coordinate Annual Meeting. Annual Meeting shall be held prior to and within 30 days of the annual ACEC Board of Directors meeting.
- Assist in planning the combined Annual Meeting and City, County and State Symposium in odd numbered years.
- Promote Annual Meeting attendance to members and younger staff.
- Possibly integrate a social event with the annual meeting (e.g. Golf Tournament, Pau Hana, etc.)
- Provide slate of officers for the next year by end of February.
- Obtain feedback from current officers and directors on how they are progressing.
- Participate in Construction Industry Council of Hawaii (CICH) meetings.
- Plan and coordinate ACECH’s attendance and provide manpower/assistance (when required) to support the annual Shinnen Enkai tradition which was started by the Construction Industry Legislative Organization (CILO)
- HCES’s mission is to “promote excellence, innovation, cooperation, professional growth and fellowship in the engineering profession.”
- Represent the interest of ACECH by supporting and assisting with coordination of HCES programs and initiatives. HCES’s primary function is to plan and organize the National Engineers Week activities in Hawaii.
- Attend monthly HCES meetings between September and March.
- Provide input and material for monthly Wiliki article. ACECH is responsible to provide the headline article (EEA results) for the March issue. We are always welcome to provide material for the other issues.
- ACECH is responsible to organize and coordinate the Engineers Week Banquet invitations to the distinguished guests (City/State agency department heads, elected officials, etc.)
Committee Responsibilities (2025-2026)
ACECH is comprised of 23 committees, 18 of which are open to member firms. The other five committees are filled by ACECH Board members.
- Committee Liaisons and Chairperson(s): With the approval of the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint Board of Directors liaisons and Chairpersons for all ACECH committees. Committee appointments shall be made at the beginning of the new fiscal year.
- Committee Members: All committee appointments will be made by the President based on recommendations of the Board Liaisons. The committee chairperson shall determine the optimum number of members for each committee and be responsible for recruiting new committee members, if needed. If there is a large number of vacancies in the committees, the President may elect to send out an email request to member firms to fill these vacancies by completing the Committee Interest Form.
- Committee Interest Forms: The President shall review all interest forms before forwarding to the Board liaison and Chairperson(s) for their consideration.
- Meetings: Committee meetings shall be held on a schedule approved by the Board liaison. A minimum of four meetings shall be held each year. The committee chairperson is responsible for scheduling all meetings at least one month in advance. A reminder notice with the meeting agenda shall be sent two weeks prior to the meeting. For committees that meet with government agencies, the chairperson may elect to have a separate meeting in advance of the committee meeting to brainstorm agenda topics or discuss items on the agenda.
- Attendance: Committee members who fail to attend three (3) consecutive meetings without notifying the committee Chair will be automatically removed from the committee, unless excused by the Chair and Board Liaison.
- Being a committee member is not only about attending meetings but about working with other committee members to address matters that could impact the way we do business. Members should actively participate in meetings and contribute to the decision-making process. Focus should be on the best interest of the ACECH rather than personal gain.
- Members shall endeavor to attend all meetings or send advance notice to the chair for absences.
- At the beginning of the year, the Chair will schedule a meeting with the committee members to outline the discussion for the year. Each member shall be responsible submitting at least one future meeting topic prior to this meeting.
- Members shall be responsible for leading the discussion when their topic(s) is up for discussion.
- Members shall research each agenda item prior to the meeting and be ready to be called upon to engage in the discussion.
- Members shall, on a rotational schedule, take meeting minutes. Minutes shall be distributed to committee members no later than 14 days after the meeting for review and comments.
- Provide comments on discussion topics if unable to attend meetings.
- Talk to chair before meeting if clarification is needed on any of the discussion items.
- Try to arrive on time and stay to the end.
- During virtual meetings, committee members should have their cameras on.
- Participate fully in meetings, listening to what others have to say, contributing positively to the discussion, and providing concise comments.
- Fulfill any responsibilities assigned to you at the meeting and be prepared to report back on your progress at the next meeting.
- Maintain confidentiality when required.
- Committees should make decisions as a collective group.