Erika Lacro began as vice president for community colleges in 2019 for the University of Hawaiʻi’s seven community colleges. Her key focus is to champion support for the student success agenda. At the university since 2002, she was the first woman chancellor at Honolulu Community College and also served as vice chancellor of academic affairs. Previously, she was assistant dean, director of academic advising and director of internship and career development at UH Mānoa School of Travel Industry Management. Before joining the university, she has held management roles at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort.

Lacro serves as commissioner and has chaired several comprehensive accreditation visits for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association and was a commissioner for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. She is active nationally in Achieving the Dream Initiative, Complete College America, and Global Community Colleges Leadership Network. Nationally, she serves as Alliance Executive Committee member for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and as board of director for the Global Community Colleges Leadership Network. Internationally, she is a board of director for the Community Colleges for International Development. Lacro earned a master’s and bachelor’s degree in travel industry management, and a PhD in communication and information sciences from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.