John Komeiji
Retired General Counsel/VP
In September, John Komeiji was named as one of eight nominees for the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority and is serving as the authority’s interim chair. Komeiji was most recently general counsel and vice president for Kamehameha Schools. His kuleana included overseeing KS’ Legal Group, which is comprised of five divisions: Education and Administration, Real Estate, Tax, Ethics and Compliance, and the Office of the VP of Legal — which includes Litigation. In September, Komeiji was named as one of eight nominees for the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority.
At KS, Komeiji oversaw the Legal Group which provides legal and tax advice and services to KS trustees, management and staff across the organization, and had kuleana for the KS Ethics and Compliance Program. Its cornerstone contribution to KS’ educational mission is protecting and upholding the purposes and integrity of the last will and testament of Kamehameha Schools founder Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.
Komeiji has extensive experience in Hawai‘i’s legal and business community. Prior to joining KS, he served as president and general manager of Hawaiian Telcom for nearly two years, and chief administrative officer and general counsel for the utility for more than 10 years. Before Hawaiian Telcom he served as senior partner at Watanabe Ing & Komeiji LLP, where his practice focused on litigation in complex commercial, personal injury and professional liability matters.
Komeiji is a past president of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association and is a recipient of the Hawai‘i Venture Capitalist Association’s Corporate Intrapreneur of the Year Award and the University of Hawai‘i’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
He holds a juris doctorate degree from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.