Gov. Linda Lingle has appointed Mark Recktenwald, chief judge on the state Intermediate Court of Appeals, to fill a vacancy on the state Supreme Court.

Recktenwald was director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs under Lingle until the governor named him to the appeals court in 2007. He was a former assistant U.S. attorney who handled white-collar and environmental cases.

Recktenwald would replace former Associate Justice Steven Levinson, who retired from the Supreme Court at the end of last year. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

Recktenwald is Lingle's second appointment to the state's highest court. She named Associate Justice James Duffy in 2003. The Republican governor is expected to select the replacement for Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon, who faces mandatory retirement in 2010.

Recktenwald graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and Harvard University.

"Judge Recktenwald is an extremely competent jurist who will bring extensive

knowledge of the law and the judicial system to the Supreme Court," Lingle said in a statement. "He is a man of high moral character and a dedicated public servant. He will bring a strong work ethic and a collaborative attitude to the bench. Over the last six years I have known him, he has demonstrated fairness, integrity, common sense and compassion in all his work. I am confident that Judge Recktenwald will serve with distinction on Hawaii's highest court."