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Haruki heads up AD search

Ferd Lewis

Before the school advertises the opening for a new athletic director on Thursday, a University of Hawaii Board of Regents committee will meet Wednesday to discuss the salary for the position.

The Personnel Affairs Committee is scheduled to meet in executive session, to discuss "salary range for UH Manoa Athletic Director," according to the agenda.

Outgoing athletic director Ben Jay announced his resignation Dec. 9, two years after being hired. He has been paid an annual salary of $293,000.

The move comes as Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman announced an eight-person search advisory committee and plans for hiring Jay’s successor no later than "mid-year."

Bley-Vroman said Warren H. Haruki, president and CEO of Grove Farm Co. and chairman and CEO of Maui Land and Pineapple Co., will chair the committee. Interested candidates will have about a month to submit their applications. Initial interviews will be held no later than early March.

In a release, Bley-Vroman said, "We are looking for a leader capable of excelling in multiple areas, including community outreach and partnership building, with the dual goals of continuing academic achievement of our student-athletes while putting UH’s 21 teams in the best possible position to win. We also need someone with the ability and agility to lead UH during this complex and important time in the evolving national collegiate athletics landscape."

In addition to Haruki, the other committee members announced by UH are: John Dean, chairman and CEO, Central Pacific Bank; David Ericson, faculty athletics representative and professor in the College of Education, UH Manoa; Dr. Elizabeth M. Ignacio, IMUA Orthopedics, Sports & Health LLC, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, UH John A. Burns School of Medicine, surgical director, Queen’s Center for Sports Medicine; Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano, assistant athletic director, Intercollegiate Athletics, UH Manoa; Amanda Paterson, director of compliance, Intercollegiate Athletics at UH Manoa; Allen Uyeda, retired president and CEO, First Insurance Co. of Hawai’i Ltd.; Dr. Kelley Withy, professor at UH John A. Burns School of Medicine.

UH said Michele Tom, the UH Manoa executive search coordinator, will assist in an ex-officio capacity.

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