Gov. Josh Green has named veteran state lawmaker Roy Takumi to the helm of the Board of Education following the abrupt resignation of Warren Haruki, who held the position for less than a year.

Haruki submitted his resignation to the board on March 11, citing the need to focus on his health and other personal pursuits. He was appointed as chair last June.

Green announced Takumi as his pick to lead the BOE as one of a number of nominations released on Tuesday, including five additional picks for the 11-member volunteer board tasked with overseeing the state’s public school system.

Takumi served as a state representative until 2022 and chaired the House Education Committee for 15 years. If confirmed by the Senate, Takumi will begin serving as board chair immediately until his term ends in 2026. 

The Senate must also approve the appointments of new BOE members Mary Hattori, Elynne Chung and Wesley Lo. Current members Ken Kuraya and Bill Arakaki also received reappointments from Green.  

If confirmed, Takumi will become the fourth chair to serve on the BOE in the last two years. His predecessors, Haruki and Bruce Voss, served as chairs for approximately nine months and one year, respectively. 

Haruki’s appointment as board chair last June came as a surprise to many. At the time, Voss had served on the board for eight years and was only a third of the way into his term as board chair. 

As the former CEO of Grove Farm and other local companies, Haruki’s background was primarily in business, rather than education. But he expressed confidence in his ability to lead the board following his appointment last summer.

“We need a legal expert. We need a financial expert,” Haruki said in an August interview. “We’re solving big, big problems, so that diversity is very helpful to come up with.” 

Haruki, along with BOE member Kahele Dukelow, never received a Senate confirmation on their appointments, meaning that they only served in an interim capacity. While the Senate received official notice of the appointments when it convened in January, legislators had not scheduled a confirmation hearing for either post. 

Previous BOE members have been appointed in a matter of weeks. Takumi said he expects to receive a hearing by the third week of April. 

Haruki declined to elaborate on his reasons for resigning as chair but said he’s proud of the work that Hawaii schools have accomplished during his time on the BOE. 

“Our kids do great, our teachers do great,” Haruki said. 

Takumi said he plans to hold the Department of Education accountable to its strategic plan, which sets ambitious goals for Hawaii schools and students over the next five years. 

“There is a roadmap now for the department,” Takumi said. 

Drawing on his experience as a representative, Takumi said he’s hopeful he can help navigate the “healthy tension” that often exists between the Legislature and DOE. While state policymakers often introduce well-intentioned legislation, he added, it’s the board’s job to ensure that proposed changes to school curriculum or graduation requirements are aligned with DOE’s strategic plan. 

“The good news is, we all have the same goals,” Takumi said. 

Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.