GOVERNOR APPOINTS LAURA H. THIELEN AS DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF PLANNING
For Immediate Release: April 4, 2005
HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle announced today that Laura H. Thielen has been appointed to serve as director of the state Office of Planning. She will begin her new job tomorrow.
Thielen, who was elected to serve on the Board of Education in November 2002, will resign even though it is not a requirement. Her resignation from the board will take effect immediately. The Governor has begun a search to fill Thielen’s seat.
“Laura is an outstanding strategic planner and I admire the collaborative way she approaches every issue,” said Governor Lingle. “Laura’s skills and experience will be invaluable to charting the long-range plans for the State of Hawai`i, and ensuring our future growth is balanced with responsible management of our resources. While I am saddened that the Board of Education will lose a tireless advocate for public education reform, I am confident Laura will bring the same passion and enthusiasm she showed for improving our children’s education to the Office of Planning.”
The Office of Planning assists the Governor in maintaining an overall framework to guide development in Hawai`i. It provides for the wise use of Hawai`i's resources in a coordinated, efficient, and economic manner, including the conservation of natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, historic, and other limited resources. The Office of Planning represents the state in hearings before the Land Use Commission and assists other state agencies in planning and development. It also facilitates intergovernmental coordination, working closely with the counties and federal agencies.
“I am very excited about working with Governor Lingle and her Administration on long-range and strategic plans to meet the needs of Hawai`i’s people and guarantee the wise use of the state’s resources,” said Thielen. “It will be a privilege to assist with statewide planning programs, policies and priorities, and I thank the Governor for her confidence in my abilities in these matters.”
Thielen has an extensive background in land use and environmental law. Since 1997, she has been the sole proprietor of LHT Services, which provides business consulting to non-profit organizations and state agencies. Her clients include Department of the Attorney General, University of Hawai`i Foundation, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawai`i Justice Foundation, State Department of Health, Hawai`i Commission on Access to Justice and Hawai`i Foster Parent Association.
Prior to opening her own practice, Thielen was a managing attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i, where she planned, coordinated and operated a statewide legal hotline and referral system for legal services and counsel.
Thielen also practiced law with the firms of Gerson Grekin Wynhoff & Thielen in Honolulu, and Squire Sanders& Dempsey in Cleveland, Ohio. Her focus was land use and environmental matters. She has represented clients in state and county land use matters, contested case and general administrative hearings, applications for Conservation District Use Permits and zoning changes. She has represented small developers, businesses and environmental interests.
Thielen served on the Kailua Neighborhood Board from 1994 to 1996. She has also been involved with Hawai`i Women’s Lawyers, Hawai`i Women’s Legal Foundation, and Hawai`i Bar Association. She is the chairman of the U.S. Department of Education Pacific Regional Advisory Committee, and served on the Governor’s CARE (Citizens Achieving Reform in Education) Committee. Last year she was recognized by Small Business Hawai`i as Education Leader of the Year.
Thielen is a graduate of Case Western Reserve School of Law and the University of Colorado, Boulder. She also earned a master’s in public policy from the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute.
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For more information, contact:
Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: 586-7708
Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: 586-0043
