Announcement: Lisa Hadway starts new position as director of UH Hilo Conference Center
A UH alumna with a strong background in ecology and conservation biology, Hadway is committed to contributing to the island’s social, economic, and environmental wellbeing.
Lisa Hadway is the new director of the Conference Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Hadway, who has been employed in a variety of positions in natural resource management for the past 24 years, started her new position at UH Hilo on July 9.
“Ms. Hadway brings important qualities to this critical position, including extensive education and administrative experience in the fields of business and science,” says Chancellor Don Straney in a media release. “These strengths will help the UH Conference Center maintain its reputation for world-class event management, global networking, and international partnerships that provide positive benefits to our Hawaiʻi Island community.”
The UH Hilo Conference Center
The UH Hilo Conference Center budget varies year to year, but has been close to $1 million annually. In the over 20-year history of the center, it has brought in over $18 million in revenue.
“The conference center organizes standard conferences and events from a broad range of disciplines,” says Jerry Chang, director of university relations at UH Hilo. “It additionally hosts the Hawaiʻi EDventure program, which provides customized experiential and educational travel programs of international renown. There are great opportunities for expansion of this program, especially with participants from the Asia Pacific region.”
Chang says the center also hosts approximately 10 major meetings a year, coordinates nearly two dozen travel programs, and assists with other special events in the community. In total, the UH Hilo Conference Center hosts several thousand attendees every year. This year, says Chang, events will include two large conferences this summer with over 1,000 participants each: The Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference, which will be held on the campus of UH Hilo, and the Very Large Database Conference, to be held at the Hilton Waikoloa.
Lisa Hadway Bio
For the past 15 years, Hadway has served in different positions with the State of Hawaiʻi, including with the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Recently, she served for a year-and-a-half as the state administrator for the Division of Forestry and Wildlife where she was responsible for planning and management of diverse natural and cultural resource projects across the state.
Hadway received her bachelor of science in zoology and master of science in zoology from UH Mānoa, specializing in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. She also received an executive master of business administration from Shidler College of Business at UH Mānoa.
Hadway graduated from high school on Hawaiʻi Island, and as a long term resident, is committed to contributing to the island’s social, economic, and environmental wellbeing, according to the release.
She has served on a number of boards and commissions including UH Mauna Kea Management Board, the Bishop Museum Business Plan Task Force, and the National Endangered Species Joint Task Force. She was named an Omidyar Fellow for 2014-2015.
