HSI Announces New Members
Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative Welcomes HMSA, The Queen’s Health Systems, and Kamehameha Schools to Growing Coalition
HONOLULU, HI – September 25, 2025 – The Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative (HSI) proudly announces the addition of three major organizations to its coalition: the Hawaiʻi MedicalService Association (HMSA), The Queen’s Health System, and Kamehameha Schools. Their participation strengthens HSI’s mission to build a sustainable, resilient, and equitable transportation future for Hawaiʻi through the deployment of zero-emission Seagliders. These new members bring crucial perspectives to HSI’s core verticals of resiliency, including health, accessibility, community well-being, as well as education, which encompasses workforce development and future-ready learning.
HMSA joins HSI as Hawaiʻi’s leading health insurer, bringing deep expertise in improving community health outcomes. HMSA’s support of HSI reflects a shared commitment to building systems that reduce barriers to care, particularly for neighbor island communities that face geographic limitations to health access.
The Queen’s Health Systems – which includes The Queen’s Medical Center, founded in1859 by Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV – has long served as a cornerstone of health in the islands. The Queen’s Health Systems joins HSI to help envision how clean transportation systems can increase interisland health equity, ensuring timely and efficient access to care for all Hawaiʻi residents.Both HMSA and The Queen’s HealthSystems will add to discussions around streamlining accessibility to healthcare for all State residents by proving new points of access to care.
Kamehameha Schools, a private educational institution serving Native Hawaiian students, contributes to HSI’s education and workforce vertical by supporting pathways for local youth to engage in future-facing careers in sustainability, engineering, and transportation. Their partnership will help build an inclusive innovation ecosystem rooted in Hawaiian values.
HSI’s new members had the following to say: “Hawaiʻi’s unique geography makes access to timely health care a challenge, especially for neighbor island communities. We’re excited to join the Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative to explore innovative solutions that bring care closer to the people who need it, while also supporting a cleaner and more resilient future for our state.”
– Jennifer Diesman,Senior Vice President of Government Policy and Advocacy, HMSA
“AtThe Queen’s Health Systems, we are committed to improving the well-being of thepeople of Hawaiʻi. Partnering with the Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative is a powerful opportunity to reimagine health equity by enhancing interisland connectivity for patients, caregivers, and medical resources.”
– Jason C. Chang, President and CEO, The Queen’s Health System
“Kamehameha Schools is proud to support forward-thinking initiatives like HSI that align with our mission to create thriving futures for Native Hawaiian learners. Seagliders represent an opportunity not just in clean transportation, but in education and workforce development that is rooted in innovation, place, and culture.”
– KaeoDuarte, Ph.D., Vice President of 'Āina Pauahi
With these additions, the Hawaiʻi SeagliderInitiative now boasts 38 members representing the private sector, community-based organizations, and government agencies, all aligned around the vision of transforming interisland connectivity with all-electric Seagliders.
“Welcoming HMSA, Queen’s, and Kamehameha Schools to our coalition reflects the breadth and depth of the community focused organization we’re building together. From health equity to workforce pathways, HSI is more than Seaglider transportation– it’s about designing a future that works for all of Hawaiʻi. We are so pleased to have Veronica Rocha and David Uchiyama locally leading this initiative as we move this effort forward.”
– AdamTriolo, Vice President Commercial Business Development, REGENT Craft
HMSA joins HSI as Hawaiʻi’s leading health insurer, bringing deep expertise in improving community health outcomes. HMSA’s support of HSI reflects a shared commitment to building systems that reduce barriers to care, particularly for neighbor island communities that face geographic limitations to health access.
The Queen’s Health Systems – which includes The Queen’s Medical Center, founded in1859 by Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV – has long served as a cornerstone of health in the islands. The Queen’s Health Systems joins HSI to help envision how clean transportation systems can increase interisland health equity, ensuring timely and efficient access to care for all Hawaiʻi residents.Both HMSA and The Queen’s HealthSystems will add to discussions around streamlining accessibility to healthcare for all State residents by proving new points of access to care.
Kamehameha Schools, a private educational institution serving Native Hawaiian students, contributes to HSI’s education and workforce vertical by supporting pathways for local youth to engage in future-facing careers in sustainability, engineering, and transportation. Their partnership will help build an inclusive innovation ecosystem rooted in Hawaiian values.
HSI’s new members had the following to say: “Hawaiʻi’s unique geography makes access to timely health care a challenge, especially for neighbor island communities. We’re excited to join the Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative to explore innovative solutions that bring care closer to the people who need it, while also supporting a cleaner and more resilient future for our state.”
– Jennifer Diesman,Senior Vice President of Government Policy and Advocacy, HMSA
“AtThe Queen’s Health Systems, we are committed to improving the well-being of thepeople of Hawaiʻi. Partnering with the Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative is a powerful opportunity to reimagine health equity by enhancing interisland connectivity for patients, caregivers, and medical resources.”
– Jason C. Chang, President and CEO, The Queen’s Health System
“Kamehameha Schools is proud to support forward-thinking initiatives like HSI that align with our mission to create thriving futures for Native Hawaiian learners. Seagliders represent an opportunity not just in clean transportation, but in education and workforce development that is rooted in innovation, place, and culture.”
– KaeoDuarte, Ph.D., Vice President of 'Āina Pauahi
With these additions, the Hawaiʻi SeagliderInitiative now boasts 38 members representing the private sector, community-based organizations, and government agencies, all aligned around the vision of transforming interisland connectivity with all-electric Seagliders.
“Welcoming HMSA, Queen’s, and Kamehameha Schools to our coalition reflects the breadth and depth of the community focused organization we’re building together. From health equity to workforce pathways, HSI is more than Seaglider transportation– it’s about designing a future that works for all of Hawaiʻi. We are so pleased to have Veronica Rocha and David Uchiyama locally leading this initiative as we move this effort forward.”
– AdamTriolo, Vice President Commercial Business Development, REGENT Craft
Initiative Updates
HSI is nearing completion of Phase IIB of its landmark Feasibility Study, which evaluates the technical, environmental, and infrastructural requirements to bring REGENT Seagliders to Hawaiʻi. This comprehensive analysis spans eleven harbors across the state ad is being conducted in close coordination with government partners including the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT), Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority (HCDA), the Office for HawaiianAffairs (OHA), and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Phase IIB will form the foundation for launching an interisland Seaglider network, supporting a cleaner, more connected Hawaiʻi. The study’s findings will guide infrastructure development, permitting pathways, and community engagement strategies as HSI prepares for the operationalization of Seagliders in the coming years. In parallel with the feasibility work, HSI has launched a series of Action Groups to bring members together in focused discussions around key pillars of the initiative. Education and Workforce Development, Infrastructure, Community and Culture, and Resiliency Action Group meetings have already taken place, bringing together stakeholders to identify collaboration opportunities and potential partnerships. On October 28th, HSI will convene its final ActionGroup meeting of the year, where members will review learnings and identified pathways across infrastructure, community, resiliency, and workforce development.
About the Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative
The Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative (HSI) is a consortium of stakeholders from local government,Hawaiʻi communities, and the private sector, working to increase understanding and adoption ofseagliders in Hawaiʻi with a focus on community, culture and the environment. HSI’s mission isto operationalize seagliders in Hawaiʻi as an affordable and accessible transportation option forHawaiʻi communities that will help modernize the state’s transportation network while meetingits net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets.
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