The head of the East-West Center in Honolulu will leave her post at the end of the year.

Suzanne Vares-Lum has accepted a Department of Defense appointment to head the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Waikiki.

Vares-Lum was the first woman and first Native Hawaiian president of EWC.

“It is with a heavy heart that I will be moving on from the East-West Center, whose amazing staff and community have made my time here some of the most professionally and personally rewarding of my life,” Vares-Lum wrote in a message sent Monday to EWC staff, according to a press release.

“Making the decision to depart this great institution was very difficult, but ultimately I believe this new appointment is the best opportunity for me to draw on my cumulative experiences toward making a positive impact on our region.”

James Scott, the former EWC Board of Governors chair and former president of Punahou School, will serve as the EWC’s interim president while the board undertakes a search for a permanent successor.

The search process is expected to take six months.

The EWC promotes relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia and the Pacific through study, research and dialogue.