Governor Josh Green asked the entire Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority board to resign, and all 12 members said, “Mahalo, we’re out.”
As discussed in previous issues, per Senate Bill 1571 (signed in May), the HTA board is now “advisory.” No policy power, no budget approvals. The CEO will report directly to the Governor, but here’s the catch. The advisory board must recommend the CEO candidate, and the Legislature has to approve the appointment. So, no board, no permanent CEO. In the interim, Caroline Anderson continues to hold the reins and is navigating through a very difficult situation.
Despite being an advisory board with essentially no authority, all members will still require legislative confirmation 🤦♂️. In a July 3rd Interview with HPR, James Tokioka was optimistic that the appointments could happen in a week or so. Let’s just say even Vegas wouldn’t give odds on that, and good thing because as of finalizing this newsletter on July 14th, we have heard no news on this.
Meanwhile, HTA’s 30 staffers are still at work. They are running approved programs, managing contracts and contractors, and doing their best to keep things moving. According to Tokioka, he’s hands-on to prevent anything from falling through the cracks. Why don’t I feel warm and fuzzy about that?
For now, HTA is a tourism agency without a board, without a permenant CEO, and without a clear path forward. What could go wrong?
BTW – Worth a Listen
The Tokioka interview is worth checking out. It’s part of a broader series on the HTA that also includes one with former Governor Cayetano, who talks about the original intent behind the TAT and the creation of HTA, really helpful context on how we got here. Interviews can be found here.
