Arnold Laanui Jr.
Damien Memorial School has picked a 1986 alumnus to be its fourth president and CEO.
Arnold Laanui Jr., who has advanced degrees in education and law, will lead the Kalihi co-educational school serving grades 6-12.
Laanui holds a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Southern California, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Hawaii-Richardson School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Pepperdine University.
Laanui has had careers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and, most recently, with the Hawaii Department of Education.
“Returning to my alma mater as the next president and CEO of Damien Memorial School fills my heart with the deepest sense of obligation, humility and joy,” Laanui said in a news release.
“To serve our students, our faculty, our staff, our parents, and our graduates in this capacity will stand among the highest kudos of my professional life,” he said. “I am deeply honored for the opportunity to ‘come home’ and to share the best of who I am with Damien.”
The current interim head of school and principal since 2020, Kyle J. Atabay, a 1984 alumnus, will resume his role as principal. Atabay was first hired as principal in 2018.
According to Betsey Gunderson, Damien School board chairwoman, the school operates under “a president-principal model.”
“We enthusiastically look forward to the collaborative leadership of our distinguished alumni, Dr. Laanui and Dr. Atabay,” she said.
Damien was established by the Christian Brothers in 1962 as an all-boys high school. Damien opened its middle school in 2004 and welcomed its first female students in 2012.
