Rezentes part of Hawai’i delegation to Silicon Valley

HONOLULU — Kaua’i County Administrative Assistant Wallace Rezentes, Sr. is

accompanying Governor Ben Cayetano to Silicon Valley this week as part of a

special delegation of state, county, judiciary and legislative

leaders.

With Rezentes in California and Mayor Maryanne Kusaka in the

Philippines on a goodwill tour, County of Kaua’i Finance Director Wallace

Rezentes, Jr., has been left in charge of running the county in their

absence.

The aim of the delegation to Silicon Valley is for Hawai’i’s

governmental leaders to learn about the information technology industry,

Cayetano said.

“We plan to get an overview and in-depth briefings of the

Oracle Corporation and Cisco Systems Incorporated; learn about tax incremental

financing from officials at the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose;

and visit the Xerox Research Park Incubator and the Technology Museum of

Innovation.

“Hawai’i is already recognized as a leader in developing four

niches in technology development — earth, science and space sciences,

biotechnology, information technology and telecommunications, and medical and

healthcare technology. It’s important that we take the initiative to meet with

business executives interested in partnering, with Hawai’i in developing a

unique brand of advanced technology in these niches,” Cayetano said.

“We

have a lot to learn about the investment initiatives undertaken by technology

businesses like Cisco System and the Oracle Corporation,” said Special

Technology Advisor Joe Blanco, who is also part of the delegation.

“We

need-to understand the convergence of data, video, and voice in the technology

industry to know how to create a niche for the private sector to capitalize

on

this convergence,” Blanco said. “The state currently owns three

incubators that can be restructured to include more private sector

participation. To understand what the best

public/private sector models are

for fostering innovation at technology incubators, we will visit the Xerox

Research Park Incubator.”

Joining Cayetano and Rezentes are: Senators Carol

Fukunaga, David Ige, Les Ihara and Representatives Sylvia Luke and David

Morihara: Maui Mayor James Apana and Hawaii Mayor Stephen Yamashiro,

University of Hawaii President Kenneth Mortimer and Walter Kirimitsu, UH Senior

Vice President and General Counsel, Associate Judge of the Intermediate Court

of Appeals Corinne Watanabe, representing the Judiciary, Department of Commerce

and Consumer Affairs Director Kathryn Matayoshi, Superintendent of Education

Paul LeMahieu, State Librarian Virginia Lowell, Deputy Director of the

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Phillip Bossert, and

Nola Miyasaki, Acting Executive Director/CEO Hawaii Technology Development

Corporation.