Mayor Rick Blangiardi has named Jennifer Santos as the new executive director of the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts for the City and County of Honolulu, effective Thursday.
In this role, she will lead arts and culture initiatives through strategic and community-informed programming. Part of this work will include advancing the city's multi-year Wahi Pana: Storied Places initiative.
The position was previously held by Kaʻili Trask O’Connell, who was appointed to the role in October of 2023 and left it at the end of April, city officials told Aloha State Daily.
“Jennifer Santos is the right leader at the right time for MOCA,” Blangiardi said in a written statement. “Her unique blend of strategic vision, cultural depth and proven experience makes her exceptionally qualified to lead this office into its next chapter. Jennifer brings not only strong professional credentials, but also a deep personal commitment to our island’s people, stories and cultural identity.”
Santos was previously the director of strategy, planning and operations for business acceleration at VMware, a technology company with headquarters in Palo Alto. Before that she held executive roles at Cisco Meraki and Cisco Systems, Inc. She has more than 20 years of experience across corporate and nonprofit organizations.
“I envision a Honolulu where keiki grow up rooted in the stories of their kūpuna — where they see themselves reflected in public art and feel empowered to shape it,” said Santos, in a written statement. “A city where Native Hawaiian voices are uplifted, heard and celebrated — alongside the rich multicultural fabric that defines our collective identity.”
Santos has also served as the chief of staff and a board member of several Native Hawaiian nonprofits, where she directed cultural programs, educational outreach and international partnerships.
“My goal is to elevate MOCA as a unifying force-multiplier — centering community voices and increasing proximity through sustainable systems of engagement, representation and impact that will serve future generations,” she said. “I bring strategic leadership, business acumen and lived experience shaped by cultural practice and community commitment — anchoring this work in people-first, place-based, purpose-driven principles.”
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
