John McComas, the head of AlohaCare, will retire in the second quarter of 2016 after 20 years with the health insurer.

“I’ve had the privilege of working closely with extraordinarily talented leaders within the community, including those at community health centers across the state, to make quality care more accessible to the most vulnerable in Hawaii,” said McComas, 72, president and chief executive officer of AlohaCare. “Being part of a larger mission to serve Hawaii’s Medicare and Medicaid populations by providing quality health plans and services, and touching the lives of others with the values of AlohaCare was definitely rewarding.”

Under his leadership, AlohaCare grew to nearly 70,000 members, becoming the third-largest health plan in the state.

“John has worked closely with the board, employees and others in the community to show it is possible to deliver aloha and caring while still operating in a sustainable manner. This is a major feat in today’s challenging health care environment, especially for health plans,” said Dana Howeth, president of AlohaCare’s board of directors, who serves as executive director of Malama I Ke Ola Health Center in Wailuku on Maui.

The company’s board has contracted Priscilla Rosenwald, principal of Leadership Recruiters, to develop a succession plan and work with an executive search firm to find a successor to McComas.