What's Being Discussed

Executive Director hiring decision: The board will interview and evaluate the three final candidates for the NELHA Executive Director position. The finalists are James "Kimo" Lee, Jr., Anthony Ostrowski, Ph.D., and Nathan Tsao. This process was initiated at the September 15, 2026 board meeting.
The board may hold a closed executive session during the hiring discussion to protect candidate privacy, as allowed under Hawaii law.

Decisions Expected

The board is expected to select and approve a new Executive Director for the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) following candidate interviews and deliberation.

Who Should Pay Attention

NELHA tenants and partners — the new Executive Director will lead the organization that manages Hawaii's ocean science and technology park in Kailua-Kona.
Big Island residents and businesses interested in NELHA's mission of ocean energy research and coastal economic development.
Anyone who applied for or is following the Executive Director search — a final selection is anticipated at this meeting.

The meeting takes place on October 2, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. It is open to the public in person at the NELHA OceanView Conference Room in Kailua-Kona or via Zoom. Written testimony must be submitted by September 29, 2026 to pamela.b.madden@hawaii.gov. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for November 17, 2026.