Micah Kāne plans to move to greener pastures … literally! By September, he will become Parker Ranch Inc.’s next CEO, overseeing 135,000 acres of land and about 40 employees.
The current CEO and president of Hawaiʻi Community Foundation – the state’s largest philanthropic foundation – plans to split his time between HCF and the ranch over the next several months until relocating to Hawaiʻi Island.
Kāne will start full-time at the helm of Parker Ranch on Sept. 1, in place of board chair Mike Fujimoto, who has served as interim CEO since June 2024. Prior to that, Neil "Dutch” Kuyper led the ranch, which is operated by Parker Ranch Foundation Trust. The trust’s beneficiaries include HCF, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Queen’s North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital and Parker School.
“Micah is an extremely talented and multidimensional leader who will immediately gel and inspire the team,” Fujimoto told Aloha State Daily by email. “He is definitely worth the wait for many reasons. For example, it is important for us that he has an opportunity to lead a smooth transition of leadership at HCF.”
Fujimoto added that initially, Kāne “will be downloading an immense amount of information from our cowboys, land managers, cultural advisors and administrative and operational folks,” in addition to board members, beneficiaries and the community at-large.
ASD spoke with Kāne about what attracted him to this new position. Here’s five reasons why he said this was the right time and place for his next move:
Because of the existing team at Parker Ranch…
“I did have an opportunity to meet some of them, both in my role as CEO at HCF, as well as during this transition, and I met some really wonderful, very committed people. And you can just see that they wear their passion for their work and for their community on their sleeves. I'm looking forward to learning all that I can from them and the community leaders that are there about the history of that place and the role that Parker Ranch can play … I think there's a great foundation for us to build from.”
Because of existing ties to Hawaiʻi Island…
“My wife being born on Hawaiʻi Island was a special part of this decision. We've spent a lot of time on that island over the course of our marriage of almost 30 years. A couple of years back, we bought a place with one of my uncles on the island over in Volcano. It's a place where my wife and I have refueled, refilled our souls and charged up to do the work we're doing.”
Because HCF is in a good spot…
“When I joined the board, leadership saw HCFʻs business model needed to change in order to be relevant – to restructure with strategic impact. That's what really inspired me to join the management side of the organization. I was privileged to take that position of CEO to be a more effective community partner in addressing some of the more crisis-oriented issues, like the disaster funds, then relief for Covid and the Maui fires. We really adopted a data informed platform that we called the CHANGE Framework. We've been able to attract a lot of really good talent and leaders. Thatʻs the reason why I think the organization has done as well as it has.
“For any CEO of an organization, it is prudent that from the day you walk in, you're preparing a successor. It's my job to ensure the organization/the board has options. We have very strong internal candidates and there's also some strong options externally. But at the end of the day, I think the board is going to make a determination on directionally where they want to take the organization. And it's a different time, too, right now, than when I took the job 10 years ago and so, having someone who mirrors my skill sets may not be the right person.
“I feel like we have one of the strongest, most cohesive teams in the state, and the way in which we collaborate and work through issues is something that has been really special for me as a leader. So, the next CEO will find that HCF is an amazing environment to do your best work.”
Because of prior leadership experience and passions…
“I'm a very passionate leader that loves to see the people around them do well. I enjoy building teams. I really enjoy working hard. It starts with your core values. I don't treat work any differently than I treat my family. I mean, we have to have our house in order first, if we expect to be effective in the community. We can always find that 80% that we agree on and oftentimes we spend too much time on the 20% we don't agree on. I've always been one who really locks in on the 80% and chips away at the 20%. That's what I would continue to bring to Parker Ranch.
“I interfaced with that community during my eight years as the director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and saw some of the challenges and historical issues that the homestead community was facing. During my 12 years at Kamehameha Schools as a trustee, we also interacted with Hawai’i Island leaders to benefit the community.”
Because of creating positive change in Hawaiʻi …
“What ultimately drove me to be a part of Parker Ranch was the potential for Waimea to model what Hawaiʻi can be, with all the challenges that Hawaiʻi is facing with the outmigration of its local people. Ultimately, you’re there to serve a beneficiary group and the community – and that’s exciting!
“HCF is a beneficiary of the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust, so having that lens gives me a unique perspective on things. I'm intimately aware of the fiduciary duties that the trust has to its beneficiaries, and I hope that brings value to my role there. Seeing Hawaiʻi achieving what it’s capable of, drives my time and the work I choose to do for employment and as a volunteer.”
More info:
Parker Ranch Inc.: Parker Ranch is one of the oldest working cattle ranches in the country and the second largest private landowner in the state, spanning 135,000 acres on the Northern region of Hawaiʻi Island. In 2023, the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust, which manages the ranch’s assets, had a total revenue of $6.23 million, according to ProPublica. For more information, visit parkerranch.com.
Hawaiʻi Community Foundation: HCF is a nonprofit that stewards charitable funds from donors to invest in other local nonprofits statewide. In 2023, HCF managed more than 1,000 funds statewide. distributing over $107 million in grants to organizations serving the local community. For more information, visit hawaiicommunityfoundation.org.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
