By Robert Camilleri
Special to the Herald
The Hawaii State Council of the Knights of Columbus elected its new chief executive officer, State Deputy Randy Tom, at the 44th Annual State Convention on May 13. He succeeds Ryan K. Brown, who served with distinction for three years.
Tom was formally installed in New Haven, Connecticut, in June by Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly. He assumed his duties July 1.
State Deputy Randy Tom
A Nuuanu resident, Tom was born and raised in Honolulu. He graduated from Saint Louis High School in 1970. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in information and computer science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
In 1972, he enlisted in the Hawaii Air National Guard. In 1986, Randy was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard. From 1994 to 1998, he served an active duty tour at the Air National Guard Readiness Center at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
Tom earned his Master of Arts degree in strategic planning from the Naval War College. In 2012, he retired as a colonel in the Air Force.
In 2014, Tom joined the Third Degree of the Knights of Columbus, in the Our Lady of Peace Council 5000.
Tom served five terms, from 2015 to 2020, as Grand Knight of Saint Stephen the First Martyr Council 16267 in Nuuanu. In 2015, his council received the Council of the Year Award from the Hawaii State Council.
As a district deputy with oversight over four local councils, he received the Star District Award for excellence.
At the state council level, Randy served one term as state treasurer and two terms as state secretary. In 2021, he received the State Officer of the Year Award from the State Council.
In 2016, he became a Fourth Degree Sir Knight. From 2018 to 2020, Randy served as Faithful Purser (treasurer), Faithful Comptroller and Faithful Trustee of the Bishop Louis Maigret Assembly 1577.
In 2018, he received the Former Master Victor M. Abbatiello Memorial Cup for his outstanding contributions to his assembly. He now serves as Faithful Navigator (president) of the Kamiano Assembly 3894.
Tom is an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco Forty-Niners. He also enjoys league bowling.
