Application deadline for his replacement is Mar. 7, 2022
Updated: January 25, 2022
Hawaii State Teachers Association Executive Director Wilbert Holck plans to retire this year after a distinguished career lasting 31 years at the union.
Holck began his first public school teaching job at Kaiser High as an outreach counselor in 1981, and he also taught in a special motivation program for students having difficulty adjusting to a traditional classroom. He later ran the alternative learning center which took in students from Kalani High, Niu Valley Middle and Kaiser High.
Holck transitioned to a staff job with HSTA in 1989, first working as a UniServ Director serving educators at schools in Leeward and Central chapters.
“I’ve worked with teachers and represented teachers in every single HSTA chapter statewide over my career,” Holck said.
“My greatest joy has been working with all of these devoted teachers and our dedicated staff,” he added. “The thing I’ve loved about this job is getting to meet and know so many teachers and becoming friends with so many of them along the way.”
In 2010, Holck became the deputy executive director of HSTA until 2013 when he became the deputy executive director at the Hawaii Government Employees Association, a position he held for a little more than a year until the executive director position opened up at HSTA.
In 2014, Holck became HSTA’s executive director.
“I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished during the 2001 strike, and more recently in our efforts at the Legislature and our advocacy focused on the teacher shortage crisis such as the creation of teacher shortage differentials in 2020,” Holck said.
“We have more people looking at special education as a career than we have ever had,” Holck added.
“More lawmakers are now talking about teacher housing,” he noted, which has been a longtime HSTA priority.
Holck plans to retire in April and says that will allow him to find time to travel with his wife Terry, who’s been a public school educator for three decades.
“There are things Terry wants me to do around the house,” Holck said.
HSTA executive director applications due Mar. 7
HSTA has hired Hawaii executive search group Inkinen to conduct the search for a new executive director. Applications are being accepted until Mar. 7, 2022 via the vacancy posting on their website.
HSTA seeks an executive director who is an effective leader and communicator, organizer and a believer in public education. This position manages the day-to-day operations of the Association and reports to the HSTA Board of Directors.
Responsibilities include management of staff, administration, leadership and communications, as well as the planning and implementation of Association programs. Expertise in management of collective bargaining, operations of a labor union, government relations, political action, professional development, and non-profit operations preferred.
If you are a professional who communicates and collaborates well, understands the operations of a labor union and collective bargaining, we would like to talk to you.