Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi names Dave Erdman interim president and CEO

Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi announced Tuesday that Dave Erdman has been appointed interim president and chief executive officer, effective January 2026.

The appointment was made by the RMH Executive Committee under the leadership of 2025 Board Chair Darcy Lindamood of Reyn Spooner and incoming 2026 Board Chair Kealiʻi Haverly, vice president of Polynesian Cultural Center and Hukilau Marketplace retail experiences. Erdman will lead the organization during a leadership transition as RMH conducts a search for a permanent president and CEO.

“We are confident that Dave’s deep experience and long-standing commitment to RMH will  provide steady leadership during this important transition,” Lindamood said. 

Haverly said Erdman has been involved with RMH for more than 30 years, serving as both an executive committee member and a board member. “His long history with the organization and the Hawaiʻi retail community makes him uniquely positioned to guide RMH at this pivotal time,” Haverly said.

Erdman previously served as founder, president and CEO of PacRim Marketing Group/Vector USA and PRTech LLC, where he led the companies through more than three decades of growth. His work focused on strategic media communications and PR, digital marketing and business development.

According to RMH, under Erdman’s leadership PacRim Marketing Group/Vector USA strengthened connections between Hawaiʻi’s retail sector, shopping centers, hospitality organizations and visitor markets statewide, experience that aligns with RMH’s mission to support the state’s retail ecosystem.

Erdman has been recognized for industry leadership and business excellence, including the RMH Governor’s Retail Industry Award for service to the retail community in 1996, the US Small Business Administration’s Hawai‘i Exporter of the Year in 2010, the SBA Hawai‘i Small Businessperson of the Year in 2014 and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Export Council District Export Council of the Year in 2024.

Erdman is the immediate past chair of the Hawai‘i Pacific Export Council, where he served from 2022 to 2025. He has also served as chair of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce and as past president and member of the Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunrise. He is a current board member of the UH Shidler College of Business School of Travel Industry Management Alumni Board, and previously served as a board trustee for Mid-Pacific.  

Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi is a statewide membership-based organization representing more than 120 retailers and allied businesses, including hospitality partners, suppliers and service providers. The organization advocates for policies supporting Hawaiʻi’s retail sector, provides educational programs and networking opportunities, and serves as a unified voice for retailers statewide. 

As Interim President & CEO, Erdman will collaborate with the RMH Board and Executive Committee to ensure continuity of operations, engage and listen to members, partners and stakeholders statewide, support ongoing advocacy priorities and program initiatives and assist the leadership team in the transition toward permanent executive leadership.

“Now more than ever, Hawai‘i’s resident retail and retail tourism sectors need a strong, unified  voice,” Erdman said. “I am honored to serve RMH members during this transition and look  forward to working collaboratively with the Board, members, the business community, and our  government leaders to advance our shared mission.”