Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) is navigating a leadership shake-up, with interim president and CEO Daniel Nahoopii and board chair Mufi Hannemann resigning within days of each other.

On March 20, the HTA announced Nahoopii’s departure after 18 months at the helm. The HTA’s interim chief administrative officer, Caroline Anderson, has replaced Nahoopii as interim president and CEO until the HTA’s board selects a new leader.

Nahoopi will join JLL’s Global Tourism & Destination Advisory Group as Lead for Industry Data and Research.

Roughly a week later, Hannemann abruptly stepped down as HTA chairman after a state audit revealed that two organizations led by Hannemann — the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association and Pacific Century Fellows — received free services at the Hawaii Convention Center during his tenure as HTA chair. Hannemann is the HLTA’s president and CEO and founder of Pacific Century Fellows. HTA board member Todd Apo has been elected to replace Hannemann as HTA board chair.

Additional staffing changes include Ilihia Gionson, who resigned as HTA public affairs officer, effective Jan. 31. Kalani Kaanaana, HTA’s chief stewardship officer, has been named interim public affairs officer.

The leadership crisis appears to have accelerated legislative efforts to restructure the HTA.

On March 28, the House Finance Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 1571. Introduced earlier this year, the measure would downgrade the HTA’s board to an advisory role and require that the governor selects the CEO with Senate confirmation.