New regents appointed to University of Hawaii

Gov. David Ige today appointed two new members to the University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents — Dr. William Haning III, an emeritus professor at the UH medical school, and Diane Paloma, CEO of King Lunalilo Trust and Home.

Ige also reappointed Wayne Higaki, an administrator at North Hawaii Community Hospital, to another term as regent. Higaki has represented Hawaii County-West on the Board of Regents since 2015. Haning and Paloma will fill seats representing the City & County of Honolulu.

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate and would run from July 1 to June 30, 2026. The board is made up of 11 regents who serve as volunteers and oversee the management and operation of the UH system.

Haning directs the Addiction Psychiatry/Addiction Medicine Training programs and is deputy program director for the Psychiatric Residency Training program at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. He is also the incoming president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. A Punahou alumnus, he graduated from Princeton University and the UH medical school.

Paloma previously directed the Native Hawaiian Health Program at the Queen’s Health Systems and taught at the UH medical school. She also serves on boards including Partners in Development Foundation, UH Foundation and the Asian-Pacific Islander American Health Forum. A UCLA graduate, she earned an MBA at UH Manoa and a Ph.D. from Capella University.

Higaki is the assistant administrator for Fund Development and Support Services at North Hawaii Community Hospital in Kamuela, where he has held various positions since 1996. He is also a member of the Mayor’s Health Sustainability Task Force and the Hawaii Island Healthcare Alliance.