Executive search firm KEES has been exclusively retained by the Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission (SPCSC) in its search for its next Executive Director. SPCSC was established in 2012 to increase accountability and quality within Hawaiʻi’s charter school system. Based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and reporting to the Commission, the Executive Director carries the organization’s mission to continue the transformation of Hawaiʻi’s system of charter schools. Serving thousands of children throughout the state, Hawaiʻi’s charter schools have been a source of innovation and community engagement in learning. The new Executive Director will sustain the progress made to date and help achieve new levels of success.

Leading the search will be KEES President and CEO Heather Eddy, Executive Search Manager Yoo-Jin Hong, and Project Manager Megan Taylor. Also supporting the partnership is Randy Wong, who serves as a Strategic Advisor with KEES to support projects in his areas of expertise.

As a premiere executive search firm for nonprofit organizations that also partners with public Boards, Commissions, and Associations, KEES specializes in searches for top executive positions such as Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director, and President roles. With a long history of placing accomplished executives for over two decades, the team at KEES has been a leader in offering a proven search process with creative and unique approaches designed to fit each client partner’s needs. In recent work, KEES has partnered with the Washington State Charter School Commission, various public and charter schools, and other entities with a mission focus on education and/or early childhood education.

From early childhood education to general and specialty schools, community colleges, and four-year Universities, KEES has matched our education-focused client partners with leaders who have helped grow and shape education and systems to impact students, families, communities, and economies. Additionally, KEES has partnered on searches for clients that provide valuable mentoring, tutoring, and other support to K-12 programming.

The agency’s Commissioners awarded the Request for Proposal contract to KEES after reviewing several competitive proposals. “KEES proposal conveyed its expertise and competence. We selected them based on their responsiveness to our RFP process, their enthusiasm for SPCSC’s mission, and their search approach that tailors to each organization,” said Cathy Ikeda, Chairperson of the Commission. “The Commission is grateful for KEES’ participation in this process, and we are confident that KEES will help us identify an exceptional leader for SPCSC.”

KEES’ work helps ensure that each client partner’s missions are fulfilled and visions are achieved so that they can change the world through the meaningful missions they serve. The partnership with Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission builds upon KEES’ long list of client partners who serve and support educational impact in a multitude of ways.

“It is an honor to have been competitively selected to lead Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission into this stage of growth and transition,” said Heather Eddy, KEES President and CEO. “The SPCSC undertakes such important work to provide high-quality and diverse educational options for Hawaiʻi’s families, prepare students for future academic and career success, and contribute to building an equitable public education system in the state. We are thrilled to begin the partnership. The KEES team is strengthened by a local executive leader Randy Wong, who leads and partners with youth organizations that serve many students across Hawaiʻi.”

All nominations, inquiries, and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. If you would like to recommend someone for this role or have any questions, please email inquiries@kees2succes.com. Further details regarding the Executive Director opportunity will be released soon.

About the Partners

Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission (ʻAha Kula Hoʻāmana)

The State Public Charter School Commission or “the Commission” is the State of Hawaiʻi’s statewide charter school authorizer. The mission of the Commission is “to authorize high-quality public charter schools throughout the State”. The Commission’s strategic vision for the chartering of these high-quality schools is that they provide excellent and diverse educational options for Hawaiʻi’s families, prepare students for future academic or career success, and contribute meaningfully to the continued improvement of Hawaiʻi’s public education system as a whole. The Commission has responsibility for oversight of all 37 Hawaiʻi charter schools. For more information, visit www.chartercommission.hawaii.gov.

KEES

KEES (formerly Alford Executive Search) is a nonprofit executive search firm that builds diverse teams and dynamic leaders in the nonprofit and public sectors. A woman owned and operated firm, KEES offers a full array of nonprofit consulting services, including executive search, leadership development, interim staffing, and human resources support. For more information, please visit www.kees2success.com.

KEES MEDIA CONTACT:

Jamie Sheffler, jsheffler@kees2success.com

HAWAIʻI STATE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL COMMISSION MEDIA CONTACT:

Sheryl Turbeville, Sheryl.Turbeville@spcsc.hawaii.gov