Ron Shiira
5th HBA President
(2016–Present)
Ron (bottom left), during his term as class council treasurer in 1974.
Ron Shiira is a proud 1975 graduate of Hawaiʻi Baptist Academy and first alumnus to serve as the school’s president. As a student, Shiira grew up in a Buddhist household. He credits HBA’s annual Christian Emphasis Week with helping him come to Christ, which in turn allowed him to evangelize to his family and win them over to Christ. Having attended HBA during the school’s most turbulent years, Shiira remembers the termite-eaten walls and holes in the roof of the old Makiki campus. However, he also witnessed the passion and resolve that helped the school prevail.
After graduating, Ron accumulated more than 30 years of corporate leadership experience, including roles as District Manager for Scott Paper Company, Regional Manager for Kimberly‑Clark, and Executive Vice President at GlobalTalk. From 2001 to 2011, he also operated a successful self‑employed boutique consulting firm specializing in marketing and business development, serving clients across multiple sectors.
Ron Shiira at HBA's 70th anniversary Christmas Concert in 2018
Shiira (second from right) at the Campaign for Transformation groundbreaking ceremony
The Hugh & Mary McCormick Innovation and Discovery Center, completed in 2025
Shiira also served as a member of the HBA Board of Directors, followed by multiple executive roles under Richard Bento during HBA’s exciting development into a fully-fledged premier institution. In keeping with his predecessor’s momentum, Shiira oversaw the acquisition of the administrative offices at 1848 Nuʻuanu Avenue - adjacent to the elementary campus. Shiira’s latest project, the Campaign for Transformation, led to the construction of the Aviary - a covered playcourt, and the Hugh & Mary McCormick Innovation and Discovery Center - a state-of-the-art building with expansive library and lab spaces.