Civil Beat Staff

Chad Blair

Chad Blair has been a writer, editor and teacher in Honolulu for more than 25 years. His job as reporter and editor is to cover Hawaii, especially how political decisions impact people and communities.

Chad has worked as a journalist for Pacific Business News, Hawaii Public Radio and Honolulu Weekly. He has taught at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu Community College, Hawaii Pacific University and Chaminade University of Honolulu.

A “military brat,” Chad was born on an Army base in Alabama and later lived with his family in Germany, Illinois, Nebraska and Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where he edited the school newspaper. He also minored in Spanish and studied for a semester in Mexico.

Chad worked for a year on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where he tracked satellites for the U.S. Air Force/NORAD. He then earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in American studies from UH Manoa. His dissertation, “Democracy in Hawaii: Class, Race and Gender in Local Politics” (1996), was published as “Money, Color and Sex in Hawaii Politics” (Mutual Publishing; 1998).

You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @chadblairCB.

Wahiawa Is Poised To Finally Get A Civic Center Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Wahiawa Is Poised To Finally Get A Civic Center

It has been a pet project of Hawaii Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz for many years.

Green Will Pick Two New Supreme Court Justices Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2017

Green Will Pick Two New Supreme Court Justices

Hawaii's Judicial Selection Commission has submitted to the governor the names of six nominees.

Chad Blair: Is Aug. 8 The New Dec. 7 For Hawaii? AP via U.S. Navy/1941

Chad Blair: Is Aug. 8 The New Dec. 7 For Hawaii?

A UH professor calls the Lahaina fires the “biggest crisis” the islands have faced since Pearl Harbor.

Hawaii Extends Deadline To Apply For Disaster Unemployment Benefits Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Hawaii Extends Deadline To Apply For Disaster Unemployment Benefits

Maui residents impacted by the wildfires may now file an initial claim through Oct. 26.

Green Promises West Maui Residents Won’t Be Displaced By Tourism’s Return David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Green Promises West Maui Residents Won’t Be Displaced By Tourism’s Return

Officials say visitor demand to the Valley Isle is very low and Lahaina fire survivors will continue to be housed in area hotels as needed.

Chad Blair: This Group Of UH Experts Has Become A One-Stop Shop For Policy Analyses Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015

Chad Blair: This Group Of UH Experts Has Become A One-Stop Shop For Policy Analyses

UHERO is expanding its role in advising the larger Hawaii community on pressing issues.

UH President David Lassner Will Retire Next Year David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

UH President David Lassner Will Retire Next Year

He has run the University of Hawaii since 2013, an institution he first began working at in 1977.

Gov. Green Heads To UN To Address Sustainability Summit Wikimedia Commons/2016

Gov. Green Heads To UN To Address Sustainability Summit

He will be joined by Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth and a panel of youth representatives from Kamehameha Schools.

Former Land Board Chair To Lead New UH Conservation Office Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2022

Former Land Board Chair To Lead New UH Conservation Office

Suzanne Case served two terms as director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.