Celeste A. Connors was selected by the (EWC) Board as the institution¡¯s next president, effective July 1. A Â鶹´«Ã½-raised leader with more than 25 years of global experience in risk management, diplomacy, national security and development policy, Connors brings a deep understanding of both international affairs and regional priorities to the role.
Connors is a recognized international leader with more than 25 years of risk management and national security experience. As a former director on both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council under both Republican and Democratic administrations, she chaired complex interagency processes and advised White House leaders on energy, trade, environment and technology strategies. She previously gained extensive foreign policy experience while serving as a U.S. diplomat in Saudi Arabia, Greece, Germany and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and as Foreign Policy Adviser to the Mayor of New York City.
In recent years, Connors has led the internationally recognized center of excellence Â鶹´«Ã½ Green Growth, where she developed policy and investment solutions to help build resilient communities. She is also co-founder of c.dots development LLC, and the co-chair of the Local2030 Islands Network, a group of 45 island economies focused on building a safer, more resilient future.
Connors has an extensive background in corporate and nonprofit governance, including serving on the boards of Hawaiian Electric Industries, the state¡¯s primary electricity provider, and the Â鶹´«Ã½ Visitors and Convention Bureau. She also co-chairs the Â鶹´«Ã½ Sustainability Business Forum, which brings together the CEOs of the state¡¯s top public and private companies.
She has served in academia as a faculty lecturer and practitioner with the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she led a practicum program focused on risk management. In addition, she has been an adjunct senior fellow with EWC since 2021, when Â鶹´«Ã½ Green Growth entered a formal partnership with the center to collaborate on sustainable development initiatives.
“I¡¯m deeply honored and excited to lead the East-West Center team in continuing to advance regional cooperation,” said Connors. “Strategically based in the Pacific Ocean, the EWC plays a critical role in supporting U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific region through convening, expert dialogue, educational exchange, and people-to-people connections. In Â鶹´«Ã½ and beyond, we seek to support security and prosperity by promoting leadership and partnerships around our shared interests and values.”
Connors holds a master¡¯s degree in development studies from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies and an undergraduate degree in international relations from Tufts University.
Her appointment concludes an extensive search to succeed outgoing Interim President James K. Scott, the former EWC board chair who has been serving in the presidential post temporarily since the beginning of this year.
“Ms. Connors was selected from an impressive applicant pool of talented and experienced individuals,” said EWC Board of Governors Chairman John Waiheʻe. “We feel strongly that her breadth of leadership experience across government, civil society, academia and business sectors is exactly what the center requires to carry our mission and legacy forward to a bright new future at this pivotal time in our institution¡¯s proud 65-year history.”
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