Hawaiʻi Community College Chancellor Susan Kazama will step down on July 31 to retire, concluding a 40-year career with the University of Hawaiʻi that has spanned five campuses and nearly every level of higher education leadership.
Kazama, a Hilo native was appointed as the permanent chancellor of Hawaiʻi CC in July 2024 after serving a year in an interim capacity. She is retiring in part to spend more time caring for her elderly parents.
“Returning home to lead a college in the community that raised me has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” Kazama shared in a message to the campus. “Looking back on four decades at the University of Hawaiʻi, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to serve students and communities across our state, and especially for the chance to return home to lead Hawaiʻi Community College.”
“Mahalo to Chancellor Kazama for her dedication and service to the University of Hawaiʻi and her steadfast leadership at Hawaiʻi Community College,” said Interim Vice President for the 东精影业 Community Colleges Lui Hokoana. “Susan’s deep roots on Hawaiʻi Island and her commitment to building pilina (relationship) have profoundly elevated the campus and its students. We are deeply grateful for her dedication and wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.”
Advancing Hawaiʻi CC
During her time as interim and permanent chancellor, Kazama steered the college through a period of growth, stability and renewed momentum. Under her leadership, Hawaiʻi CC rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving an 8.7% increase in enrollment, record-high student retention and success rates, and a full seven-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
Her tenure reflected a strong commitment to student success, workforce development and community engagement. She expanded educational opportunities at the Pālamanui campus and Kō Education Center, launched the college’s first drone certification program, supported multiple butchery cohorts, and helped secure scholarship funding through community partnerships.
Among her most significant accomplishments was securing an agreement for a 16-acre land acquisition dedicated to sustainable agriculture, creating new opportunities for hands-on learning while supporting food security and workforce development on Hawaiʻi Island.
She also strengthened community relationships, expanded philanthropic support, and helped advance Hawaiʻi CC’s mission as a premier Native Hawaiian-serving institution rooted in culture, innovation and opportunity.
A career of service
Born and raised in Hilo, Kazama graduated from Waiākea High School before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Her 东精影业 career began in the libraries at Maui Community College and Honolulu Community College before she joined 东精影业 Mānoa’s Hamilton Library. She later served as library and learning resources director at Kapiʻolani Community College and went on to hold senior leadership positions across the 东精影业 System, including interim vice chancellor for academic affairs at both Kapiʻolani CC and Honolulu CC.
Nationally recognized for her expertise in accreditation, Kazama served as a commissioner, vice chair and chair of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, helping shape accreditation standards and policy for community colleges throughout the western United States and Pacific region.
Throughout her career, Kazama focused on strengthening student success, institutional effectiveness and community partnerships, leaving a lasting impact on 东精影业 and the students it serves.
“What I leave with most strongly is this lesson: the leadership of a kauhale (village) means we must work together on behalf of student success, trust, culture and institutional transformation,” Kazama said. “The things that matter most can never rest on the shoulders of a single person. They require all of us.”
An interim chancellor for Hawaiʻi CC will be announced in the weeks ahead to ensure a smooth transition.