The State Public Charter School Commission yesterday appointed Yvonne Lau its Acting Executive Director, effective Monday, March 14, 2016, pending the commencement and completion of a formal search for its new Executive Director. Ms. Lau currently serves as the Commission’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), a position whose responsibilities include fulfilling the Executive Director’s duties as necessary.


Ms. Lau initially joined the Commission in December of 2014 as its Organizational Performance Manager and two months later was promoted to COO. Prior to joining the Commission, she served in the Office of the Governor as education policy analyst, in the Hawaii Department of Education as an Acting Director of the Office of Human Resources, Personnel Development Branch, and at the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission as a supervisor and investigator. She is a graduate of Aiea High School and has an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law.

“The Commission and our charter school system are fortunate to have in Yvonne a leader so capable of stepping up to this challenging role while we conduct our search.” said Commission Chairperson Catherine Payne. “We are very grateful to her readiness and willingness to serve the children of Hawaii in this latest capacity.”

Ms. Payne announced yesterday that the Commission hopes to complete the search in time for the new Executive Director to start by July 1, 2016.