HONOLULU, HI – Bob Dewitz, Owner and CEO of Hawaii Select Investments and Chairman of the Board of American Electric, LLC, has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH).

Dewitz was nominated for his position on the Board of Directors of the RCUH by Governor Linda Lingle. His nomination was supported by strong letters of recommendation from the Office of Senator Inouye, David Heenan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Estate of James Campbell and Robert Kihune, retired US Navy Vice Admiral and Trustee of Kamehameha Schools.

Established in 1965 by the Legislature, the mission of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH) is to support the research and training programs of the University of Hawaii and to enhance research, development and training in Hawaii. The affairs of the RCUH are under the general management of its ten-person Board of Directors of which Dewitz is now a member.

A strong supporter of higher education, Dewitz recently completed the first of three sections of the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School.

"Being back in the classroom was invigorating, especially in the company of great executives and great professors from around the world," said Dewitz. "I believe that education is one of the best strategies for growth, as well as for dealing with these tough economic times. I am honored to serve on the Board of RCUH as a means of supporting the research, training, and economic opportunity that the University of Hawaii provides."

Dewitz has taken numerous corporations into new phases of growth and expansion, on and off of the islands. Founded in 1947 and acquired by Dewitz in 2003, American Electric, LLC has become the largest, locally-owned electrical contractor in the state. Under the leadership of Dewitz, the company has experienced a 10-fold growth in revenues over the past five years and posted nearly $50 million in revenues in 2008. American Electric, LLC has recently moved forward with its efforts to meet growing demand on the Neighbor Islands; opening a newly constructed service operations facility on Maui as well as a new branch office on Kauai. American Electric currently services the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii.

In addition to his positions at American Electric, LLC and Hawaii Select Investments, Dewitz is also the founder of Crane Tech, LLC and a partner in the Guam Harley-Davidson dealership. Dewitz is a founding partner of Pacific Shipyards International and is the past owner and CEO of HSI Electric, which was sold to General Dynamics Corporation last year. Dewitz has also held integral roles within mainland companies, serving as a managing partner of both Pacific Defense Systems in San Diego, CA and Seattle Industrial Motor & Machine Co. in Seattle, WA.