City and County of Honolulu News Releases

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2011 / 09/16/11 Robert Bunda Selected as HART Board Member

ROBERT BUNDA SELECTED AS TENTH BOARD MEMBER     (Fri., Sept. 16, 2011)— The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Board of Directors today selected Robert Bunda as the final member of the 10-member board.   The board voted unanimously in appointing Bunda, who previously served in the Hawaii State Legislature in both the House and Senate. Bunda represented the Wahiawa, Haleiwa, Mokuleia and North Shore area for more than 25 years and served as state senate president from 2001 to 2006.   Bunda, a Wahiawa resident, is an insurance broker and serves on the board of directors of the State Public Land Development Corporation under the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.   "I am honored to join the HART board and I understand the enormous responsibility involved in ensuring the successful construction and operation of Hawaii's first urban rail system," Bunda said. "This rail system will serve Oahu well into the future. It will provide a transportation alternative to our congested roads and highways so our residents don't have to spend hours in traffic each day. This is a project I firmly believe in and support."   "Bunda's expertise will bring an important perspective to the board," said HART Board Vice-Chairman Ivan Lui-Kwan. "Mr. Bunda is a strong addition to the board. Hisunderstanding of the budgetary and legislative process andhis work in shaping public land use policy will be extremely helpful as we collectively work to bring the rail transit project online," Lui-Kwan said.   Along with Bunda, the other volunteer board members include William "Buzz" Hong; Don Horner; Keslie Hui; Damien Kim; Lui-Kwan; andCarrie Okinaga, who all serve with no compensation. Ex-Officio board members are State Department of Transportation Director Glenn Okimoto; City Department of Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka; and City Department of Planning and Permitting Director David Tanoue, who serves as a non-voting member.   ###   Media Contact: Scott Ishikawa, (808) 768-6172, cell: (808) 227-2350