HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii’s regents selected David Lassner as the institution’s next president Monday after lengthy debate about whether the board should delay selecting a candidate.
Lassner, who had been serving as interim president, and retired Lt. Gen. Frank Wiercinski were vying for the job that comes with a $375,000 annual salary.
The process has generated criticism from those who opposed Wiercinski’s military background and complaints that he doesn’t have the qualifications to lead a public education institution.
There were calls to reopen the search, but the board said doing so would harm the university. Eleven regents selected Lassner, two voted for Wiercinski, and two abstained from voting.
Lassner was appointed as interim president in September after M.R.C. Greenwood said she would step down to deal with health problems and spend more time with family. Lassner was the university’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer.
Wiercinski retired after a 34-year Army career, including two years leading U.S. Army Pacific.
Regent Benjamin Kudo made a motion to delay voting, in part because the selection process occurred at the end of the semester when many students and faculty were not around.
Regent Jeffrey Portnoy agreed, saying that as a recent addition to the board he had received very little information about the candidates that were considered aside from the final three.
“I have to stay true to my beliefs,” Portnoy said. “I cannot vote for either candidate.”
Regent James Lee and other board members said the university needs to move forward and cannot wait another year or two to name a president.
At Lassner’s formal interview before the board last week, he discussed his ideas for the 10-campus system, including saving on energy costs by using university land for solar power. The university must “preserve, honor and promote” Native Hawaiian culture and sustainability, Lassner said.