Hawaii Tourism Authority names new chief administrative officer

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has named Daniel Naho‘opi‘i as chief administrative officer, one of the agency’s top leadership roles.

Naho‘opi‘i, who started today, is responsible for HTA‘s administrative, fiscal, procurement, and human resources operations of HTA, as well as the management of the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. He served as HTA director of research from 2006 to 2017, and most recently was executive vice president of SMS Research & Marketing Services.

Nahoʻopiʻi succeeds Keith Regan, who left HTA in August 2022 and is now a member of Gov. Josh Green’s Cabinet, serving as comptroller for the Department of Accounting and General Services.

John De Fries, HTA’s president and CEO, said in a statement,“Daniel has an intricate understanding of HTA and Hawaii’s visitor industry, and brings a wealth of experience in tourism management, planning, business operations, and performance evaluation. He is well-respected among community and business leaders statewide and will hit the ground running.”