Tourism agency’s chief operating officer leaving position

Randy Baldemor, chief operating officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, has notified the state agency that he will resign his position March 2.

“I’m so appreciative for the opportunity to have worked at the Hawaii Tourism Authority and to help our state in the area of tourism,” Baldemor, 44, said Thursday in a statement. “This was my decision and I’m doing this to allow myself the opportunity to continue growing as a person and to explore other ways of contributing to this community that I love.”

Baldemor, who is making $202,140 as the agency’s second-highest-ranking executive, started at HTA on June 9, 2015. He previously held leadership positions at the state Department of Human Resources Development, Office of the Governor, Office of Information Management and Technology, and Department of Taxation. He began his career as an attorney in private practice.

“Randy was the first person I hired at HTA and his vision and passion for improving tourism was instrumental in revitalizing the culture at HTA, and establishing policies and procedures that bolstered our operations,” HTA CEO George Szigeti said in a statement. “Randy was responsible for developing strategies to expand Hawaii’s air access network and he was a driving force in the rebranding of the annual Global Tourism Summit.”