> Twenty-two years in all phases of governmental relations.

> Self motivated, highly organized.

> Extensive political campaign experience.

Celeste began her legislative career in 1980 as a legislative staffer for then Representative, Russell Blair. In 1983 she moved over to staff the office of Congressman Cec Heftel. And in 1986, when she graduated from the University of Hawaii with a B.A. in Labor Studies, she accepted a legislative appointment as the Committee Clerk of the House Judiciary and Consumer Affairs Committee and moved back to the State Capitol. In 1993 she was appointed as a staff assistant to Senate President Norman Mizuguchi, a position she held for three years. The sixteen years that Celeste served in the State Capitol, and as staff person with Congressman Heftel, have been very important to her development as a top lobbyist in Hawaii. In 1996 she accepted a position as Legislative Assistant with the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, where she began what has now become a decade and a half-long career as a political and legislative operative in the public union sector. In 2001, then Executive Director of the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Francis Kennedy, asked her to come to the HFFA and work with him. She has been the Director of Labor Relations and Government Affairs for the Firefighters Union ever since. Throughout that entire period of time since 2001, she has also been associated with, and been lobbying for, our firm, Capitol Consultants of Hawaii. Her skills, qualifications, and experience in legislative and labor staff work are unique. The experience of working as a legislative staff person, and as a labor union official for nearly thirty years is of incalculable importance to our firm, and combine to create in her, a lobbyist with great political skill and political reach.

> M.S. in Architecture, B.A. in Sociology

> Leads the firm in areas of sustainability and green technology

> Member of U.S. Green Building Council

Ross is a highly skilled registered architect with numerous completed projects under his belt, including educational facilities. As such he is very familiar with issues of planning, land use, processes and procedures for development and the agencies that regulate them. He leads our firm’s activities in the areas of sustainability, environmental quality, and green technology. It is safe to say that no other lobbying firm in Hawaii has a professionally trained architect on board, let alone an architect with extensive training in green design and technology. Ross is a Director on the Board of the Hawaii Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, a Regional Council member of the USGBC, Director on the Board of the University of Hawaii Letter Winners Club, a Council Member of Hope Chapel, and a member of the American Institute of Architects.

FRED HIRAYAMA
Legislative Consultant

> Former State Representative.

> Former staff member, Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Homelands.

> Extensive experience in lobbying and political actions.

Fred is a fixture at the Capitol, having also served as a legislative staffer, State Representative, and long-time staff member of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. He is a specialist in capital improvement projects (CIP), and is very active in activities having to do with St. Louis Alumni Association and he has close ties to the National Guard and various legislators. His active involvement with Capitol Consultants provides us important access into a wide array of important political venues.

SUDAGAR DHANDAPANI
System Analyst

> M.S. in Information Systems and B.S. in Electronic Engineering.

> Proficient in software development, programming and design.

> Extensive experience in legislative computer interface situations.

In 2000, Sudagar earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the Amrita Institute of Technology, Chennai, India, one of India’s foremost and best technical universities. And he holds a Master of Science degree in Information Systems from Hawaii Pacific University, in Honolulu. He is a brilliant software engineer, and his skills profile puts him among the world’s top software developers/analysts. Sudagar has created and maintains our proprietary bill tracking system which allows our clients to enjoy unparalleled independent access to the legislative process as it is working—in real time. No other lobbying firm in Hawaii has a 100% full-time software engineer on staff who is dedicated, 24/7, to staying up with and, if possible, ahead of, the ever increasingly electronically dependent legislative process.

MELISSA TAKAAZE
Legislative Assistant

> M.A. and B.A. in Political Science.

> Former staff member to Alaska Senator Ted Stevens on Capitol Hill and former House of Representative Alex Sonson.

> Outstanding Communicator.

Three years ago, when Melissa was still an undergraduate at UH Manoa, Melissa sought our firm out.  She expressed a desire to work with us, and we were glad to have the interest, but she had to win a position with us in competition with several dozen other applicants. She now has earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has been working for us as our Legislative Clerk ever since. We are excited by her intelligence, work ethic, and talent for the work. She has great prospects as a future lobbyist.  A native of Hilo, she spent her formative years in rural Alaska, where she returns every summer to tutor Native American students of the Rural Alaska Honors Institute. She attended the University of Alaska before moving back to Hawaii to matriculate, and while in Alaska served as college President of the Young Democrats of Alaska, as a student senator, and as the student chair of the University Relations Committee. She was also fortunate to have been chosen as a Senate Intern in the Office of United States Senator Ted Stevens. And like John, Melody, Celeste, and Fred,  she is also a “graduate” of staff work in Hawaii State Government, having been an aide in the office of former State Representative Sonson.  Melissa’s very difficult and time consuming job is to attend all committee hearings and meetings of interest, to take notes, and to effectively evaluate what takes place.  She must understand, process, and evaluate,  a very large body of information in order to assist the rest of us in obtaining as clear a picture as possible of what is going on at every level of legislative and staff activity at the Capitol.