Leadership Conference 2018

MORNING SESSION I
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Hawaii Economic Trends

Speakers:

Melissa Miyashiro, Chief of Staff, Blue Planet Foundation

Melissa oversees Blue Planet’s strategic planning, policy, and organizational development. She received a law degree and a certificate in Environmental Law from the William S. Richardson School of Law and a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Denver. Melissa was born in Colorado, spent her teenage years in Peru, and has lived in Hawaii since 2005. She serves as a Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) board member and an editor for the Hawaii Bar Journal.

Prior to joining Blue Planet, Melissa worked as a legal fellow assisting state agencies in Hawaii with administrative rulemaking, invasive species law and policy, and inter-agency coordination. She has authored papers on climate justice and taught persuasive writing and legislative advocacy at Hawaii’s law school. Melissa also worked as a litigator in private practice and completed a clerkship at the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals. Before attending law school, Melissa worked as an environmental scientist for a Hawaii-based consulting company, managing multi-party environmental projects.

Dr. Eugene Tian is the Chief Economist, Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT)

Dr. Eugene Tian is the Chief Economist at the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT). His office conducts research on economic issues such as tourism, emerging industries, diversification, quality of life, technology, energy, and taxation. His team also produces the official statewide short-range economic forecast on a quarterly basis and the long-range population and economic forecast every 5 years. His program is also responsible for compiling and publishing the State of Hawaii Data Book, the monthly economic and energy indicators, the daily passengers count to Hawaii.