University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner will retire at the end of 2024.
Lassner, 69, has led the state public university system since 2014. He served as interim president for a year before his permanent appointment. He was the 15th president in university history.
The university made the announcement Tuesday as the board begins planning and recruiting for a new president.
"I have every confidence that the next leader will be able to hit the ground running to work with our amazing leaders and the Board to take UH to even greater heights with our new vision, mission and strategic plan as the foundation," Lassner said in a statement.
During his tenure, he led the university through the COVID-19 pandemic. He also reorganized the relationship between the university and the UH Foundation, which has led to more donations.
His leadership has also come under scrutiny. While the university previously managed the sites on Maunakea, backlash prompted the responsibility to be passed off to the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority. By March, the authority had drafted procedural rules, position descriptions and a $14 million budget request to the state to begin the transfer.
Lassner has been with UH for a total of 46 years. He started in an entry-level IT role in the 1970s and eventually became the university's first Chief Information Officer.
"It is an intense job, one I approach every day with energy and enthusiasm to pursue continuous improvement. But I am ready to planfully pass the torch to the next leader while I am able, active and healthy," he said.
