Dear Friends and Partners in Making Hawai’i a Place Where Our Children Can Thrive,
On behalf of the board, I would like to share with you our appointment of two new leaders after current President and CEO Terry George retires on July 1, 2025 after 22 years of dedicated service. I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Alex Harris as President and Eric Co as Chief Executive Officer. Alex will oversee all grantmaking, strategy, and impact, while Eric will manage internal operations, external communications, and special projects. Alex and Eric share equal ownership of our mission and goals, but with distinct roles and responsibilities. This new collaborative leadership model will enable us to leverage the diverse strengths and talents of both leaders in our growth as a foundation.
These appointments are the culmination of a succession process which began a year ago when Terry confirmed with the board his intent to step down in 2025. With assistance from a consultant, the board developed a success profile for the president and CEO role before deciding whether we wished to do a broader search process. In the end, we decided not to widen the search because we had two strong internal candidates who fit our success profile: Eric and Alex. Both of them know the foundation well, and both have played critical roles in shaping our values and executing on the foundation’s mission. So we provided separate coaching for Eric and Alex to prepare for this transition.
We originally thought we would be picking one of these two fabulous leaders as the next president and CEO and risking the loss of the one who wasn’t selected. But instead of competing with each other for the position, Alex and Eric surprised and delighted the board by proposing a shared leadership approach that takes advantage of both of their strengths. The board unanimously decided that this was the best approach to lead the Foundation into the future while remaining firmly committed to the Foundation’s existing programs in statewide public education and ocean resiliency, regional community climate adaptation, and place-based grantmaking in Koʻolauloa and Koʻolaupoko.
“The board, our foundation staff and ‘ohana are so thankful for Terry’s tireless leadership over the past two decades,” said board vice chair James McIntosh, who is also the great grandson of Harold K.L. Castle. “His commitment to being a servant leader embodies the spirit of our founder, and he has helped to shape the vision for where our foundation is today.”
Why a co-leadership model?
The mission of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation is complex, seeking upward mobility for all young people, healthy reefs and fisheries across our Paeʻāina, and resilient Windward communities. A co-leadership model—increasingly common among nonprofit organizations–is rooted in the Foundation’s values, offering a new organizational structure for a new era that builds our capacity to grow together and drive impact.
Eric Co, CEO
Eric joined the Foundation in 2011 to run its ocean programs and is currently its vice president for resiliency, leading all environmental grantmaking, ‘āina-based education, and climate work. He previously served as marine program coordinator at The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi and as the Pacific region restoration specialist for NOAA with programs in Hawaiʻi, Guam, and the CNMI. Eric holds an MBA and an MA from the University of Hawaiʻi and serves as a trustee for Bishop Museum and the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
“I am humbled and honored to work with Alex, the board, and staff to help sustain these islands, communities, and culture that make our home so special,” said Co.
Alex Harris, President
Alex joined the Foundation in 2013 to lead its public K-12 and higher education programs and is currently its vice president of programs, overseeing the Foundation’s overall strategy development and impact evaluation while also still leading the education team. He previously served as a key member of the Office of Strategic Reform of the Hawaii Department of Education, co-founder and deputy director of the U.S. Education Delivery Institute, and program director for education of the National Governors Association. Alex holds an MA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and serves as vice-chair of the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission and chair of the Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative.
“I am excited for this new chapter, to join with Eric in working with our board and staff to advance Mr. Castle’s enduring vision of resilient people and healthy islands,” said Alex.
I am also pleased to announce the promotion of Ann Matsukado to Treasurer and Maria Quidez to program officer. Ann previously served as controller and grants manager, while Maria was a program associate.
What Changes, and What Remains the Same?
Founded in 1962 by the longtime owner of Kaneohe Ranch, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation is a private foundation that works to build resources for Hawaii’s future. The Foundation’s existing investments support statewide public education and ocean resiliency, regional community climate adaptation, and place-based grantmaking in Ko’olauloa and Ko’olaupoko. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $259 million in grants to benefit Hawaii’s communities and people. For more information, visit www.castlefoundation.org or click here for a link to our recent report on our impact in 2024.
The board has no intention of changing the Foundation’s mission, our programmatic areas of focus, or our values. Along with this continuity, we also look forward to exploring fresh ideas and innovative approaches to this work to be led by Alex and Eric in their new roles. Terry remains our President & CEO through June 30, 2025 and will spend much of this spring preparing Alex and Eric for their new roles.
Mahalo for your continued trust in us. I assure you that the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation is in good hands for the future. Together, we can continue to make Hawai’i a place where our children and grandchildren can thrive.
Mitch D’Olier
Chair, Board of Directors, Harold K.L. Castle Foundation