The composition of the beleaguered Hawaii Tourism Authority board unceremoniously changed Friday when Gov. Josh Green appointed two new members effective immediately.
Green, who has been critical of HTA’s ability to get the necessary legislative support to fund its missions, appointed Hawaiian Airlines’ Blaine Miyasato and Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka to fill four-year terms, which will expire June 30, 2026, on the 12-member board.
Friday was also the last day for HTA Chair George Kam and board member Keone Downing, who had been appointed by Gov. David Ige and had been serving as holdover board members since their terms expired June 30.
That means the HTA board will be under new leadership when it holds a special meeting Thursday to address several pertinent topics, including how to proceed after current HTA President and CEO John De Fries leaves the agency upon the ending of his contract Sept. 15. The board previously offered De Fries a contract extension, but he declined in the aftermath of a legislative session that nearly repealed HTA and left it begging lawmakers for funding.
The board already has determined that HTA Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Naho‘opi‘i will serve as interim president and CEO and will be assisted by Chief Brand Officer Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana and Vice President of Finance Isaac Choy.
The board has not discussed a more permanent transition outside of closed-door executive sessions, which have been presided over by Kam.
However, Tokioka publicly called for a “timeout” on the Honolulu Star- Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaii” livestream program on June 23, saying that he did not recommend replacing the HTA’s top leader before the next legislative session starts.
Kam told the Star-Advertiser last week, “Director Tokioka has made his wishes known, and those things will be taken under consideration with the full board at the appropriate time.”
But now Kam is gone, and it’s unclear who will fill his leadership role on the board. Traditionally, the board holds officer elections at its regularly scheduled July board meeting, which this year is on July 27. That means HTA Vice Chair Mike White is probably going to preside over the upcoming special meeting.
Miyasato is the managing director, state government affairs, at Hawaiian Airlines with nearly 40 years of experience in the airline industry. He got his start in the airline industry as a flight attendant for Hawaiian in 1985, and worked his way up to key management positions.
Tokioka began serving as DBEDT director in May after Green’s former nominee for that post, Chris Sadayasu, failed to get confirmed by the state Senate. Tokioka’s nomination will be subject to Senate confirmation when the Legislature returns to session.
Tokioka brings a wealth of tourism and political experience to the job. Prior to moving to DBEDT, he served as deputy director for the Department of Transportation’s Airports Division. He also has served on the Kauai County Council and the state House of Representatives. Tokioka also is a veteran of the hospitality industry, where he worked his way up from busing tables to managing hotels and owning restaurants.
Miyasato’s appointment will be subject to confirmation by the state Senate. As DBEDT director, Tokioka will serve as an ex-officio voting member per Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 201B-2.
