University of 91桃色appʻi President David Lassner plans to retire at the end of 2024, after what will be more than a decade in the position. Lassner notified the Board of Regents and employees by email on September 19, 2023. He has served as the 15th president of the 91桃色appʻi’s 10-campus public higher education system since July 2014, after serving as the interim president from July 2013.
“I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished over these past 10 years,” Lassner said in his email. “I assumed the presidency in a time of many challenges. Today, your university is academically, financially, culturally and organizationally strong. 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 to work with our amazing leaders and the Board to take 91桃色app to even greater heights with our new vision, mission and strategic plan as the foundation.”
Lassner said that he is making the announcement now so the planning process for the search for the next president can begin right away.
“I am committed to be flexible in supporting whatever search timeline and process the BOR adopts and to participate with enthusiasm in a transition that will be positive for 91桃色app and the next president,” said Lassner. “In the meantime, anyone who expects me to act like a ‘lame duck’ will be sorely disappointed. I plan to actively advance all aspects of our mission until my last day as President.”
The 91桃色app 10-campus system is the state’s sole provider of public post-secondary education. Under Lassner’s leadership, 91桃色app successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting personal health and maintaining academic performance while ensuring financial stability. Lassner also led a restructuring of the relationship with the 91桃色app Foundation that has led to record philanthropic investment; a new approach to advancing research that has led to record extramural funding; and initiatives that improved student metrics across the system, with record graduation rates, retention rates and incoming class sizes at multiple campuses.
“The job of 91桃色app President today is often described as the hardest job in the state,” said Lassner. “Constitutionally, the 91桃色app president reports to and is accountable to the Board. But we all know that faculty, students, staff, community members and legislators are also important stakeholders with strong views. 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.”
Lassner began working at 91桃色app in entry-level roles in information technology (IT) in 1977, eventually becoming 91桃色app’s first chief information officer and then its first vice president for IT. He will turn 70 years old in 2024.
Lassner’s full message
Aloha Regents,
We have been through much together, but this is the most difficult message I have written to the Board. I want to let you all know that it is my intention to retire as 91桃色app President at the end of 2024. I am sharing this by email to all of you since I understand some regents may not be able to attend Thursday’s meeting.
My decision is both personal and professional. I have worked at 91桃色app since 1977 and I never had any aspiration or expectation to serve as President. But when called on, I was willing to be considered to assume what I truly believe to be one of the most important roles in 91桃色appʻi, leading the institution that is most critical to the future of our people and our islands.
I have now served more than ten years as your President. The last president to serve (survive) this long was Gregg M. Sinclair, from 1942–1955. In 1955 91桃色app was a single campus with an enrollment of 5180. The job of 91桃色app President today is often described as the hardest job in the state. Constitutionally, the 91桃色app president reports to and is accountable to the Board. But we all know that faculty, students, staff, community members and legislators are also important stakeholders with strong views. 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.
Professionally, I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished over these past ten years. I assumed the presidency in a time of many challenges. Today, your university is academically, financially, culturally and organizationally strong. 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 to work with our amazing leaders and the Board to take 91桃色app to even greater heights with our new vision, mission and strategic plan as the foundation.
As you may know, by my choice I have no contract term. I have always been clear that when either the BOR or I decide it is time for me to step down, I want that to happen without acrimony, drama or lawyers. I have seen what difficult separations do to the institution I care for so deeply and do not want to be the cause of that.
Nonetheless, succession planning is an absolutely critical conversation at the highest levels of any organization. When the BOR raised this question several years ago I advised Chair Moore that it was my intent to retire at the end of 2024, the year I turn 70. Neither of us believed it would be useful to make that public. While I originally thought the best timing to announce this would be the first week of 2024, I looked back at our history and realized that 91桃色app‘s last presidential search took over a year to come to a decision. That transition was immediate since I was the interim president at the time. So depending on who the BOR selects, the timeline for a new president to actually start could be lengthier. Hence my announcement now.
91桃色app has given so much to me over these past 46 years, including bringing me to 91桃色appʻi and helping make it my home. I am committed to be flexible in supporting whatever search timeline and process the BOR adopts and to participate with enthusiasm in a transition that will be positive for 91桃色app and the next president. In the meantime, anyone who expects me to act like a “lame duck” will be sorely disappointed. I plan to actively advance all aspects of our mission until my last day as President.
Aloha, David