Kalbert Young Appointed UH System VPBF/CFO

The University of Hawai’i System has appointed former State Budget Director Kalbert Young as the Vice President for Budget and Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the UH System. The appointment follows the University of Hawai’i Board of Regents approval in a meeting Thursday.

For the past four years, Young has served as the State Director of Budget and Finance. In his position, he was responsible for the development of long-term financial plans and strategies, and coordinated the state’s $11-billion budget.

In his role as State Director of Budget and Finance, Young worked closely with UH on significant components of the university’s budget, including campus-level initiatives.

Prior to his State appointed role, Young served as the Director of Finance for the County of Maui for more than six years.

Young’s private sector experience includes government relations, budget and financial planning, and an internal audit at Kamehameha Schools. In addition, he worked in the area of land planning and development for the Kapalua Land Company, a subsidiary of Maui Land & Pineapple.

“Kalbert Young is highly regarded as a finance professional and as an outstanding communicator. He will be a tremendous asset to the entire University of Hawai’i as we work together with Governor Ige and the legislature to build a better future for our students and residents,” said UH President David Lassner in a statement.

Young holds two degrees from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in American history. In addition to his many previous titles, he currently serves as a trustee of the State of Hawai’i Employees’ Retirement System and as a trustee on the state’s Deferred Compensation Plan.

In his new position as the UH System VPBF/CFO, Young will serve as UH’s chief financial affairs officer and is responsible for leading and directing the University’s system wide financial management and budgetary functions.

After a comprehensive nationwide search, Young was recommended for the appointment to the VPBF/CFO position. He will succeed Howard Todo, who has held the position since October 2005 and intends to retire in October 2015.

“I am excited for the opportunity to work with everyone on the UH management team and within the UH community to implement improvements that will advance everyone’s goal of evolving, growing and building out state university toward even greater prominence. I look forward to my role in guiding the System’s financial, fiscal, and budget aspects in order to improve transparency and accountability for UH and our stakeholders – including students, faculty, staff, Regents, Legislature, and taxpayers. As the only public university system within our state, UH is a valuable asset that is essential to Hawai’i’s economic progress,” Young said.

Young’s appointment is effective on or about Jan. 5 and is subject to renewal based on satisfactory annual evaluations.