Executive Director

The Downtown Honolulu Business Improvement District’s Executive Director is a politically astute, relationship-driven leader with strong financial and operational management experience and a deep commitment to revitalizing and strengthening business activity in Downtown Honolulu, reinforcing its role as a first-class business district.

The Downtown Honolulu (DoHo) Business Improvement District (BID) is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to partnering with government and the private sector to develop and implement programs that promote the overall vitality of Downtown Honolulu by strengthening its role as a first-class business area. Governed by a board of landowners, business leaders, and government representatives, the BID is funded through commercial property assessments and aims to deliver supplemental services that enhance the district’s safety, cleanliness, and vibrancy.

Its mission centers on creating a welcoming environment for businesses, residents, and visitors through coordinated efforts in security, sanitation, public maintenance, marketing, and community events. By managing Downtown as a unified entity, DoHo BID seeks to attract investment, stimulate economic growth, and foster a thriving urban core.

Downtown Honolulu is at a defining moment. Long the historic and economic heart of the city, the district is emerging from COVID amid significant transition. Office-to-residential conversions are bringing new residents downtown, new restaurants and businesses are opening, and major local employers continue to anchor the area. At the same time, ongoing challenges related to safety, cleanliness, vacancies, and public space conditions make clear that coordinated, decisive leadership is essential.

Landowners, businesses, and civic leaders are aligned in their belief that downtown’s future depends on a more unified and proactive approach, and the Downtown Honolulu Business Improvement District was created to meet this moment.

Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in downtown Honolulu, and setting a standard for the State of Hawaiʻi, the BID works in close partnership with government and the private sector to create a safe, clean, and welcoming environment in which people can live, work, and play. As a nonprofit entity funded entirely through assessments on commercial properties and fully reinvested back into the district, the BID delivers visible, on-the-ground supplemental services including enhanced security, sanitation and maintenance, marketing and economic development, and policy advocacy.

By aligning landowners, businesses, and public partners around a shared strategy, the BID enables collective investment, accountability, and impact, laying the groundwork for renewed confidence, increased activity, and long-term vitality in Downtown Honolulu.

At the center of this effort is the Executive Director, the founding chief executive of the Downtown Honolulu BID. This is a rare ground-floor opportunity for a politically astute, relationship-driven leader with strong financial and operational management. The Executive Director will work closely with the Board, manage service partners, steward resources, and build trust across city, state, commercial and community stakeholders.

For the right leader, this role offers the chance to steward a true inflection point, protecting existing assets, supporting new investment, and revitalizing Downtown Honolulu for years to come.

Target Annual Salary: $130,000+ with room to grow based on experience and performance

Please submit the following, addressed to DoHo BID Search Committee, c/o Inkinen Executive Search, via email to  by February 9, 2026
:

• Cover Letter – expressing the reason for your interest in DoHo BID, and how your skills and experiences match the Executive Director role.
• Resume

For detailed information, please visit