University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner announced last week that he will step down at the end of 2024 after about 10 years at the helm.
"I'm really just doing this on my own terms, on my own time, and I'm ready to be in a role that doesn't demand 24/7 attention," Lassner said, adding that he has already beat the national average for a college president's tenure.
Lassner has worked for the university for 46 years, his entire adult job history. He started in an entry-level IT role in the 1970s and eventually became the university's first chief information officer.
During his leadership, the university faced the coronavirus pandemic, the stewardship of Maunakea, the deterioration of Aloha Stadium, and much more.
Lassner joined The Conversation live on Wednesday to discuss guiding the 10-campus system and his priorities during this last year at UH.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Sept. 27, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
