Hawaiʻi’s tourism playbook is getting a new author. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority has kicked off a public hunt for its next president and CEO, posting a full job description and setting a firm application deadline for applicants who think they can steer the state’s biggest industry.
The position will oversee HTA’s statewide marketing and destination-management work and carry responsibility for operations tied to the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. Caroline Anderson is serving as interim president and CEO while the advisory board runs the recruitment process.
The full-time, exempt, non-civil-service role is based in Honolulu, according to HTA. Applicants are asked to email a cover letter and résumé to [email protected], and the closing date is Friday, June 26. The listing states that salary is commensurate with experience and that relocation costs will not be covered. HTA also notes that the authority was created by the state legislature in 1998 and serves as Hawaiʻi’s lead agency for tourism.
Why the hire matters
Tourism is still Hawaiʻi’s largest private-sector industry, which means the person who lands HTA’s top job will have a major say in how visitor numbers, marketing and community stewardship are balanced across the islands.
Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka told reporters that “the next president and CEO of HTA will help guide how tourism supports our economy, our communities and our long-term future,” according to KITV. That mix of marketing, planning and stewardship is expected to sit at the center of HTA’s work over the next five years.
What the job includes
HTA’s posted job description spells out responsibilities that include strategic planning, procurement and contract oversight, preparing materials for the advisory board and directing destination-stewardship programs, along with oversight of the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. The role calls for executive-level experience in tourism, destination management or a related field, along with strong government and community relations skills.
The posting also notes that the position involves routine travel for meetings, industry briefings and testimony at legislative hearings, per HTA.
Interim leadership and next steps
Caroline Anderson, HTA’s director of planning, has been handling interim duties and has emphasized community-focused approaches to visitation, local reporting shows. Hawaii News Now quoted Anderson encouraging visitors to take part in volunteer and stewardship programs while HTA continues its planning.
The advisory board will review applications and is expected to move toward naming a permanent president and CEO in the months ahead. Interested applicants are urged to review the full posting and submit materials by email to [email protected] before the June 26 deadline.
For those following tourism policy, this appointment is shaping up to be HTA’s most consequential hire in years, one that could influence how the islands manage visitor impacts and community needs well into the future.
