Before University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel took office, she already had plans to bring on a new senior adviser from her last job in New York.

That adviser, Kim Siegenthaler, started work last week, earning $250,000 a year. In January, the university’s Board of Regents had created the new position just for her, opting to forgo formal recruitment.

Why?

The board won’t say. It took up discussion on the position in a session closed to the public. And when the regents reemerged in a public hearing, they quickly took a unanimous vote without discussing why the new adviser role was necessary.

Unlike many other positions in the UH system, the board is responsible for approving the appointment of most executive managers like Siegenthaler.

Chairman Gabe Lee declined an interview request, instead referring a reporter to the board’s agenda and meeting materials.

The board also declined to release the minutes of its executive session meeting in January, which could help shed light on the decisionmaking process and Siegenthaler’s new job.

“These discussions are closed to the public,” the board wrote in an email. “And thus, the discussions are not public.”

The Office of Information Practices, which regulates the public meetings law in Hawaiʻi, has said that executive meeting minutes must be made available to the public once disclosure would no longer affect a person’s privacy interest.

Jeff Portnoy, a former regent and lawyer, questioned whether the position should have been discussed in secret in the first place.

“Discussing the creation of a new position should absolutely not take place in an executive session,” Portnoy said. 

He added that while personal matters can be kept in executive session, discussion of a job candidate’s responsibilities, qualifications and salary should all take place in the open.

Hensel wasn’t available for an interview.

In a recent interview with UH Beat, Sieganthaler said that she began working with Hensel at Georgia State University in 2020, where she was hired to develop online programs. When Hensel moved to City University of New York in 2022, she asked Siegenthaler to join her there.

Three years later, Hensel invited Siegenthaler come to UH. In the interview this week, Siegenthaler mentioned that this transition had always been a part of their plan. 

“That was the plan, yes,” she said. 

She declined to discuss her salary and what specific duties justify making $250,000 a year. 

“I don’t feel any need to justify it,” she said. 

Siegenthaler said she will take the lead on advancing UH’s information technology systems and artificial intelligence strategy “to maximize the potential these technologies have on teaching and learning.”

According to Hensel’s written request to the board, Siegenthaler will offer “high-level counsel, analytical support, and strategic guidance on complex institutional challenges, system-wide initiatives, and transformative opportunities.”

She also will be responsible for keeping abreast of trends in higher education and changes in federal laws and regulations.

Hensel wrote that the board should waive the recruitment process because of Siegenthaler’s “exceptional qualifications and experience.”

Hensel previously worked as the executive vice chancellor and university provost at CUNY, responsible for overseeing the academic direction of the university system. Siegenthaler served alongside her as the associate vice chancellor for academic innovation beginning in August 2022, overseeing academic affairs, enrollment management, student affairs and research.