November 24, 2010 - By HARRY EAGAR, Staff Writer Maui News

 

WAILUKU - Flower farmer Teena Rasmussen will be the economic development coordinator in Mayor-elect Alan Arakawa's administration when he takes office in January.

In an announcement Tuesday, Arakawa said her immediate tasks will be drawing up a budget for the Office of Economic Development, working with the Technology Working Group and forming an economic revitalization task force to develop short- and long-term strategies for development.

This will be the first time that Rasmussen has drawn a government paycheck, but she said she feels like her volunteer work over decades has prepared her for the task.

"I'm very excited," she said. "Everything I have done in my volunteer life, my educational interests, being a regent at UH, being on Small Business Administration advisory boards for 10 years, prepared me for this job."

Arakawa said Rasmussen is well-prepared for the position.

"Teena brings to the position 30 years of experience of owning a small business on Maui and volunteer service to government, education, agriculture and the business community," he said. "Her years in working in the challenging agriculture industry, owning and operating a small business, and having to 'think outside of the box' have prepared Teena well for the challenges she will face."

Rasmussen and her husband, Craig, own Paradise Flowers Farms, and Rasmussen said, "agriculture will be a big part of the Office for Economic Development."

"I know the farmers, the organizations and all of the issues, having lived it for the past 32 years," she said.

But economic development also will aim at high tech. The working group was brought together before the general election by Arakawa to advise him, and Rasmussen has not yet had a chance to discuss their views, but one idea is to promote Maui as a software development hub.

Rasmussen said she also will probably be involved in transient vacation rental policy development, an issue that has grown more and more contentious since it first started gaining attention during Arakawa's first term from 2003 to 2006.

The issue there has been what level of regulation is appropriate, and Rasmussen said one of her goals will be to ferret out and help remove "onerous regulations."

Rasmussen's daughters have returned home and are working in the family business. She said the timing is right for her.

"I have had a desire for some time to engage in some type of government service," she said.

Rasmussen will step down from daily operations at Paradise Flower Farms but will remain on its board. Craig Rasmussen is president of the business.

As the co-owner and vice president, Rasmussen was recognized as Small Business Advocate of the Year for Maui County by the Small Business Administration in 1991, Entrepreneur of the Year by the Maui Chamber of Commerce and Island Business Magazine in 2000, Small Business Person of the Year for Maui County in 2001, Farm Family of the Year by Maui County Farm Bureau in 2004, Most Outstanding Farm Family by the Hawaii State Farm Bureau in 2004, Small Business Champion of the Year by the National Federation for Independent Business Hawaii in 2005, Outstanding Community Service and Achievement Award by the Maui Agricultural Foundation in 2005 and E-Commerce Retailer of the Year by the Retail Merchants of Hawaii in 2006.

She is a member of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, where she is chairwoman of the Community College Committee and a member of the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs committees.

Among other civic offices, she is a former chairwoman of the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

* Harry Eagar can be reached at heagar@mauinews.com.