LIHU‘E — Former Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Chairman Dennis Esaki submitted his resignation Thursday, announcing that he will leave the Board of Directors after six years, effective Sunday, according to a press release.
In his resignation letter, Esaki told KIUC he was resigning in order to prevent any appearance of a conflict of interest due to his partial ownership in a biodiesel company, the release said.
While KIUC did not identify the company in the release, Esaki presumably acquired a stake in Hanapepe’s Kaua‘i Farm Fuel, the first operation on the island to recycle used cooking oil to produce biodiesel.
In the resignation letter, Esaki explained he had gotten legal advice telling him he could stay on the board and recuse himself from any discussion and action on the subject, but instead decided to resign, the release said.
“I believe that my duty is to uphold the integrity of the organization by not creating the appearance of such conflict,” said Esaki in the release. “I am confident that the board will continue to uphold the high standards that the members expect and deserve. It has been an honor to serve the members of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative in my capacity as director, chairman and chairman emeritus, and to have worked alongside you all.”
Esaki was a no-show at Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting. An attendee at the meeting at one point asked if Esaki was resigning, but no official announcement was made until Thursday.
Two months ago, Esaki surprisingly stepped down from his position as chair at the first KIUC meeting following KIUC elections in March. Teofilo “Phil” Tacbian took over the role on March 31.
“We feel we’ll get more involvement from others in here,” Esaki said at that meeting when asked why he no longer wanted to be in charge. “Sometimes you can get more done if you’re not the chair.”
In an e-mail exchange following the meeting, Esaki explained his rationale more thoroughly.
“For the past two years, I have spent approximately half of my time on KIUC matters and I am happy to step down to chairman emeritus,” he wrote.
“As chairman, I have been subpoenaed to testify in the grand jury for alleged downing of shearwater birds due to our power lines and lights. This is one of the unintended and unwanted consequences of the chairman.
“Due to the experience of the board members, I am confident that the new officers will lead collaboratively.”
Esaki served the two months since the move as chairman emeritus, which allowed him to advise the board’s seven committees. He also continued to serve on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Marketing and Communications Committee.
It remains to be seen who will take over his seat on the Board of Directors, who will replace him as chairman emeritus, or who will represent KIUC with the NRECA.
Esaki, who is also the president of Esaki Surveying and Mapping, Inc., according to the KIUC Web site, was a founding KIUC board member and was elected to the board in 2003. He was appointed to the board after a one-year hiatus in 2005 and reelected in 2008, the release said. His term was set to expire in March 2011.
