For the first time in nearly three years, the local volunteer board overseeing the largest public works project in Hawaii’s history has a new board chair.

Tobias “Toby” Martyn will chair the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board, replacing Damien Kim.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

Martyn is a career financial services industry professional, according to his biography on the HART website. He manages Stifel’s Honolulu branch office, and he previously served on the State of Hawaii Employee Retirement Services board.

He originally joined the rail board as one of the state’s four nonvoting appointees in 2017. He then filled the vacancy of a voting member’s seat in 2018.

Kim, meanwhile, has had trouble leaving the HART board as planned. He announced in June that we would exit when his term expired that month, marking the departure of the rail agency’s last original board member.

Kim also noted at the time that he would stay on until the City Council could find his replacement.

Three months later, he’s still attending meetings.

“You may be stuck with us for a while,” HART board member Hoyt Zia quipped to Kim as Martyn took the chairman’s seat during the board’s meeting Thursday.

In a statement Thursday, Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson said the elected group continues to actively search for Kim’s successor.

Anderson’s statement didn’t address whether they’re having trouble finding a suitable replacement.

Kim had replaced former Hawaii Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa as HART chair in November 2016 when she left the board to return to Congress.