John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, announced Thursday that he will be stepping down later this year.
De Fries, who took the helm of the HTA in September 2020, will not seek a contract extension when his term ends on Sept. 15.
“It has been an honor to serve the communities and people of our islands these past three years and I will support the board and staff during this transition in leadership of HTA,” De Fries said.
"I am incredibly proud of our passionate, unwavering team of professionals at HTA and all that is being accomplished in our communities to improve the well-being of Hawaiʻi."
Under his leadership, the HTA developed three-year Destination Management Plans for each island. The plans articulated a community-first approach toward a regenerative model of tourism.
De Fries also led an operational restructuring in 2021, aiming to make the HTA an organization for effective destination management.
“John has done an admirable job fulfilling his three-year contract during the most challenging period in recent Hawai‘i history," said George Kam, HTA board chair.
"At a time when we needed a strong, visionary leader to calmly guide us forward out of troubling circumstances, John was there for HTA,” Kam added.
However, his tenure also faced controversy — notably with the mishandling of awarding the lucrative U.S. marketing and branding contract.
The contract was awarded, cancelled, and split three times in the past two years.
Lawmakers cited issues with the branding contract, on top of other issues, during the past legislative session.
The Legislature ultimately chose not to allocate general funds to the agency's operating budget for the next fiscal year.
Although the board invited De Fries to consider an extension of his contract in March, De Fries declined at the conclusion of the legislative session in May.
