John Morton appointed UH system interim vice president for community colleges

Leon Richards named acting chancellor for Kapiolani Community College

University of Hawaiʻi

HONOLULU — At its monthly meeting held today at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the UH Board of Regents approved the appointment of Kapiʻolani Community College Chancellor John Morton as interim vice president for community colleges. Morton‘s appointment is for two years at an annual salary of $178,000.

The position was approved by the BOR last month when it approved the system level reorganization of the community colleges and the creation of a new Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges. The office will be responsible for executive leadership, policy decision-making, resource allocation, and development of appropriate support services for the university‘s seven community colleges.

Morton has led the Kapiʻolani campus on Oʻahu since 1984, except for a brief period when he was on special assignment to help direct implementation of a systemwide online student registration system. He previously served as dean of instruction at Leeward Community College, and started his career at that campus as a faculty member in both chemistry and political science.

Active in community affairs, Morton has served as president of the Hawaiʻi Services on Deafness Board and the Hawaiʻi Health Information Corporation Board, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of ASSETS School. Morton holds a BS in chemistry and MA in political science from the University of Illinois and a PhD in communication and information sciences from UH Mānoa.

Leon Richards, current senior academic dean for Kapiʻolani Community College, will serve as acting chancellor for the campus. Richards has been at Kapiʻolani since 1977, serving over the years as assistant dean of instruction, acting provost and dean of instruction.