Acting Executive Director of Charter School Commission Appointed

Yvonne Lau. State Public Charter School Commission photo.

Yvonne Lau has been appointed as Acting Executive Director of the State Public Charter School Commission.

Lau’s role will begin on Monday and will remain in effect until the Commission completes a formal search for its new executive director.

Currently, Lau serves as the Commission’s Chief Operations Officer, where she is responsible for fulfilling the Executive Director’s duties if deemed necessary.

In 2014, she joined the Commission as its Organizational Performance Manager. Two months later, she was promoted to COO.

Before her time with the Commission, Lau served in the Office of the Governor as an education policy analyst, as well as within the Hawai’i Department of Education as an Acting Director of the Office of Human Resources’ Personnel Development Branch, and at the Hawai’i Civil Rights Commission as a supervisor and investigator.

Lau graduated from Aiea High School and attended the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, obtaining an undergraduate degree in Finance and later a law degree from the William S. Richard 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 Hawai’i in this latest capacity.”

According to Payne, the Commission hopes to have a new Executive Director by July 1.