University of Hawaii president announces he’ll retire at end of 2024

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - University of Hawaii President David Lassner has announced he’ll retire at the end of next year. A search for his replacement is expected to begin immediately.

Lassner, the university’s 15th president, was appointed to serve as interim president in July 2013.

He officially took over the permanent role in July 2014, and has been a mostly calming and measured presence after a period of turmoil. In an email to the UH community announcing his decision, Lassner said he’s proud of what he’s accomplished over the last decade.

“I assumed the presidency in a time of many challenges. Today, your university is academically, financially, culturally and organizationally strong,” he said.

“Of course there are many ways we can improve—I probably know them as well as anyone. I have every confidence that the next leader will be able to hit the ground running.”

He added that he won’t serve as a “lame duck” during his final year, but will continue work on key university initiatives as he prepares to “planfully pass the torch to the next leader.”

The University of Hawaii has 10 campuses and is the state’s sole provider of public post-secondary education. Lassner is credited with helping UH navigate the COVID pandemic successfully — focusing on health, academic performance and financial stability.

Lassner began working at UH in entry-level roles in information technology in 1977, eventually becoming UH’s first chief information officer and then its first vice president for IT.

He will turn 70 in 2024.

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