Charles Kaneshiro

Charles Kaneshiro is the president and COO of G70. Charles, who joined G70 in 2000, led the firm during a pivotal period in the company’s history that included:  

• Rebranding of the firm in 2016 
• Opening of G70 office in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2016 
• Relocation of the Honolulu office from McCandless Building to the Financial Plaza of the Pacific office complex in 2018 
• Reorganization and expansion of the firm’s leadership and operational structure 
• Guiding the office through the 2020-2021 Pandemic 

Charles was among the state’s first LEED Accredited Professionals and is a passionate sustainability advocate. Under his leadership, G70 has achieved many sustainability “firsts” including:   

• First LEED Platinum School – Hālau Ho‘olako at Kanu o Ka ‘Āina Learning ‘Ohana 
• First LEED Platinum Laboratory – University of Hawai‘i C-MORE Hale 
• First LEED Platinum Commercial Interiors – Group 70 2nd Floor Offices 
• First LEED Certified Preschool in Honolulu – Central Union Preschool 
• First LEED Certified Public School – DOE Pu‘u Kukui Elementary in Wailuku, Maui   
• First CHPS Project – ‘Iolani School Sullivan Center 

Charles was nominated as the first green school advocate for the state of Hawai‘i in 2007 and served on the steering committee for the development of the Hawai‘i CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) green certification program. Under his leadership, G70 was recognized as Pacific Business News’ inaugural winner of the “Best in Sustainability” award during the 2014 Business Leadership Awards.  

Charles has served in various leadership roles with the AIA Honolulu including 2010 president, secretary and director. He currently serves as Hawaii governor of the Association For Learning Environments. 

In his free time, the Honolulu resident enjoys spending time with his family, attending church, traveling, and rooting for his son’s sports teams on the sidelines.