Atlantis chief to run state tourism agency

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has named its former board chairman Ron Williams as interim president and CEO of the agency.

The board unanimously voted Thursday to sign Williams to a contract that could run through June 30. Williams will replace Mike McCartney, who left the post Thursday to serve as chief of staff for Gov.-elect David Ige.

Williams, who has served on the HTA board since Gov. Linda Lingle appointed him in 2009, is the longtime president and CEO of Atlantis Adventures, a company that celebrated its 25th year in Hawaii last year.

He will remain in his current role at Atlantis while performing his interim duties for the HTA, which markets the state as a tourist destination. Williams, a Maui resident who commutes to Oahu for work, has undertaken many roles in Hawaii tourism. In addition to serving on the HTA board, he is a past president of the Activities & Attractions Association of Hawaii.

Williams is volunteering for the job and will be paid the minimum amount required for him to be considered a state employee.

"It is an honor to have been selected as interim president and CEO during this transitional period," Williams said. "I am committed to working with the HTA board and staff on maintaining the success of our tourism economy. On behalf of the HTA, I would like to extend a sincere mahalo to Mike McCartney for serving Hawaii’s visitor industry and wish him well in his new position as he continues to serve the state of Hawaii."

The HTA’s Administrative Standing Committee will form a search committee with six board members and three community members, said Doug Murdock, the HTA’s vice president of administrative and fiscal affairs.

"We’ll be looking to get back to the board in January, but that’s a very aggressive timeline," Murdock said.

HTA Board Member Lorrie Stone added, "HTA is incredibly lucky to have Ron step up to this task."

Aaron J. Sala, HTA board chairman, said Williams brings more than 30 years of experience in Hawaii’s visitor industry to the table.

"We are pleased that he could step in and ease the transition for the HTA as we search for a permanent president and CEO," Sala said.

McCartney, who officially joins Ige’s staff Jan. 1, said the decision leaves the HTA in capable hands.

"Ron has been a teacher and a mentor to me," said McCartney, who joined the HTA the same year that Williams began serving on the board. "I’m actually leaving it in better hands. I’ve done the best that I could in the 2,025 days that I’ve been here. Now it’s time for someone to take it to a higher level and (for) Ron to be part of that journey."

McCartney helped Hawaii’s tourism industry rebound from the 2008 shutdown of Aloha Airlines and the loss of two NCL America home-ported cruise ships. He also helped restore the credibility of the HTA after then-chief Rex Johnson abruptly resigned in the wake of news he had exchanged racist and sexist jokes by email on his state computer.

In 2012 the industry set simultaneous visitor arrivals and spending records. More records were set in 2013, and the industry is on pace this year to hit more milestones.

During the first three quarters of 2014, higher average daily spending contributed to $11.1 billion in visitor spending, which was 2 percent higher than the same period last year. Total arrivals hit 6.22 million visitors, which was on par with the same period in 2013.

McCartney said his decision to leave came as a result of an unexpected "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity and that he will continue to advocate for Hawaii’s tourism economy in his new role.

"Now I really understand tourism and how sensitive and delicate it is and how much competition that we have and how we have to nurture it in order to have it be resilient for our future," he said.