Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS

DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR

CATHERINE P. AWAKUNI COLÓN
DIRECTOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2015

DCCA Names Ty Nohara as Hawaii Commissioner of Securities and Head of the Department’s Business Registration Division

HONOLULU –  Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Director Catherine P. Awakuni Colón has named Ty Nohara as the state’s commissioner of securities, effective Thursday, April 16.

As the commissioner of securities, Nohara will be responsible for securities compliance and enforcement; and investor education.  She will also lead the department’s Business Registration Division, which includes corporate filings and the registration of new businesses.

“I am extremely pleased that Ty has decided to return to DCCA to serve as securities commissioner,” said Director Awakuni Colón. “Her previous experience at the department, along with her expertise in the area of securities law and enforcement, are a tremendous benefit for Hawaii consumers.”

Nohara previously served as chief compliance officer at Cadinha & Co., LLC., since April 2012, where she developed and maintained a compliance program to adhere to federal and state securities laws.  She was also responsible for the daily administration of the compliance policies and procedures, federal and state regulatory filings, and compliance issues relating to trading, operations, client accounts, and marketing.

Prior to that, Nohara’s work experience includes more than 10 years at DCCA, having served as a securities enforcement attorney and acting senior securities attorney. During her tenure at DCCA, she was responsible for investigating, preparing, and prosecuting cases involving violations of Hawaii’s securities laws, and managed the team responsible for the drafting and adoption of the revised Hawaii Uniform Securities Act and the new state administrative rules relating to securities. She worked closely with the commissioner of securities on state and federal legislative initiatives, and helped to develop partnerships and program initiatives for the department’s Investor Education Program.

Nohara also has experience as assistant vice president and compliance officer for First Hawaiian Bank, where she worked on compliance issues for an investment company and investment adviser.

“I am excited to return to DCCA to lead the securities division, expand the department’s investor education program, and make business registration more efficient,” said Nohara. “I look forward to using my regulatory and enforcement experience to protect investors from fraud, along with promoting a healthy business environment in Hawaii.”

DCCA’s Business Registration Division (BREG) is responsible for processing and maintaining for public access, registrations of corporations, general and limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, trade names, trademarks, service marks and publicity name rights.  Securities has three branches: compliance, enforcement, and investor education. Organizationally, these branches fall under BREG, and are administered by the commissioner of securities.

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