Terry George to lead Hawaiʻi Community Foundation come August

Terry George was just about to retire next month after 22 years of service at the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. But even in thinking through what retirement might entail, serving the community was at the top of his list.

Hawai’i Community Foundation announced today that starting Aug. 1, he would become its new CEO and president.

“When I saw the level of uncertainty among our social sector leaders in recent months, along with the strain on our social safety net and our courageous nonprofit organizations, I didn’t feel right retiring and just sitting around at home watching reruns of ‘Friends’,” he wrote in an email to Aloha State Daily.

“Then the HCF leadership opportunity happened, people started approaching me about it, and I decided to see if that was the best way of serving the Island communities that I love so much.”

George will succeed Micah Kāne, who held the position for nearly 10 years "addressing some of the state's more crisis-oriented issues, like the disaster funds, then relief for Covid and the Maui fire," he previously told ASD. In February, HCF announced that Kāne would slowly transition out of the role becoming Parker Ranch Inc.'s next CEO on Sept. 1.

“It’s a huge honor and responsibility, and no one can fill Micah’s shoes,” George told ASD. “I’ll just try to be myself and bring my experience in grantmaking and changemaking to the role.” 

HCF’s Michelle Kaʻuhane is now CEO and EVP, effective immediately, the organization said. “Kaʻuhane, a trusted and experienced leader at HCF, will work closely with George to continue driving HCF’s mission and expanding its reach throughout the state.”

“Terry brings both strategic vision and a deep connection to community,” Kaʻuhane said in a statement. “I look forward to working alongside him to build upon HCF’s strong legacy of community empowerment and donor stewardship, in close collaboration with our dedicated team and partners.”

George noted, “The good news is that HCF has a talented, committed staff, a fabulous set of partnerships with nonprofit organizations and donors and a strong EVP and COO in Michelle Ka’uhane. We’ll be working as a team to lead HCF into the future.”

Hawai’i Community Foundation is one of the state’s largest philanthropic organizations focused on affordable housing, conservation, health and education, among other areas. Last year, HCF stewarded more than 1,160 funds and distributed more than $172 million in grants to the community. 

More information about HCF can be found online at hawaiicommunityfoundation.org or on its social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.