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Committee forwards Melvin Ventura to Hawaii County Liquor Commission; Kurkowitz recuses
Summary
Melvin Ventura, a longtime Hawaii Island credit-union executive, was forwarded by committee to the full council with an 8–0 vote and one recusal; Member Kurkowitz recused because of a nonprofit affiliation with the nominee.
The Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs voted on Aug. 20 to forward Mayor Mitchell D. Roth’s nomination of Melvin Ventura to the Hawaii County Liquor Commission with a favorable recommendation to the full council. The administration said Ventura, of District 8, holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s in accounting from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has worked at Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union since 1994; the nomination term was listed to end Dec. 31, 2028.
Ventura described a long history on the island and prior county-board experience, and said he is committed to balancing licensees’ economic opportunities with public-safety and quality-of-life concerns: “I also believe that licensees enjoy a great privilege... but I don't think that success can come at the expense of public safety and quality of life in the communities within which the licensees are located,” he said. Member Kurkowitz disclosed a conflict and recused herself because Ventura is board chair of the nonprofit Naleo o Hawaii and Kurkowitz is president and CEO of that organization.
Members thanked Ventura for volunteering to serve; Member Anaba and others noted his microgrant distribution work during the 2020 Holomua Hawaii program and cited his management experience as relevant to liquor-commission oversight. With Member Kurkowitz recused, the clerk recorded eight votes in favor of forwarding the nomination to the full council for confirmation.
