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Governor Josh Green is appointing new members to the boards overseeing public education and the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) after strained relationships with the state Legislature led to inadequate financial support, including proposals to defund or abolish the HTA.
Despite surviving these challenges, Green believes that the HTA needs to change its focus. He emphasizes the importance of shifting from tourism marketing to destination management that attracts and educates responsible visitors.
Last session, the Legislature granted Green $200 million in discretionary funding. He intends to use the majority of this funding to support the HTA ($71 million), the Department of Education ($55 million), and the University of Hawaii ($25 million).
Green explains that the underfunding of these entities is due to a lack of effective communication and cooperation between the boards and the Legislature. In response, he plans to introduce new leadership to address these issues and promote better relationships.
To this end, Green has recently appointed three interim members to the University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents. These appointments, including former Governor Neil Abercrombie, attorney Lauren Akitake, and Global Resiliency Hub CEO Alapaki Nahale-a, will serve five-year terms beginning on July 1.
The Board of Regents oversees the 10-campus University of Hawaii system, which serves nearly 45,000 students and employs around 7,900 individuals.
Furthermore, Green has announced the replacement of Bruce Voss, the Chair of the Board of Education (BOE), with business leader Warren Haruki. Voss, who could have continued as an at-large board member, has chosen to resign effective June 30. Green has also appointed Kahele Dukelow, dean of arts and sciences at UH Maui College, and Shanty Asher, a current BOE member, as interim board members for the BOE.
The BOE is responsible for setting policies for the 10th-largest school district in the United States, serving 156,500 students in 258 public schools. Additionally, the BOE oversees the state librarian, who heads the state’s 51 library branches, and the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission, which supervises 37 public charter schools statewide.
Regarding the HTA, Green is considering his options for replacing three longstanding members appointed by former Governor David Ige: HTA board Chair George Kam, and board members Keone Downing and Ben Rafter. The governor has the authority to appoint six members to the HTA, with the House and the Senate each selecting three appointees.
While the past legislative session presented challenges for the HTA, Kam remains optimistic and describes the board as a “dream team.” He expresses confidence that with new key acquisitions, the board will be in an excellent position moving forward.
In conclusion, Governor Green recognizes the need for change in leadership positions across these important boards in order to address issues with underfunding and strained relationships with the Legislature. These changes aim to improve collaboration and secure better support for education, tourism, and the overall well-being of Hawaii.
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