Gov. Neil Abercrombie has named two people to the Hawaiian Homes Commission, filling two of three vacancies on the nine-member panel that oversees the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Abercrombie appointed Wallace A. Ishibashi Jr. to represent East Hawaii County and Patricia W. Sheehan to the Kauai seat.

Ishibashi is a retired ILWU Local 142 officer and currently chairman of the Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission.

Sheehan has worked in fields ranging from education to real estate and serves on several boards, including the Kapiolani Health Foundation and the Kauai Historic Preservation Review Commission.

Though the appointments are effective immediately, the two still must be confirmed by the state Senate.
Ishibashi and Sheehan replace Ian Lee Loy and Imaikalani Aiu, respectively, whose terms expired at the end of June.

Abercrombie has yet to name a replacement for Perry Artates, the Maui commissioner who abruptly resigned last week after news surfaced of the June conviction of him and his wife for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and submitting false loan documents.

The conviction stemmed from a 2007 home purchase in which the couple provided false statements to obtain a loan.