Krystal Ka’ai Hetherington

Krystal Ka‘ai Hetherington is the Executive Director of the bipartisan, congressionally appointed National Asian Pacific American Museum Commission. In this role, she oversees the Commission’s work to assess the feasibility of establishing a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Krystal made history when she was appointed by President Biden as the first Native Hawaiian to serve as Executive Director of the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. During her tenure, she led the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities – including efforts to address anti-Asian hate and expand access to federal programs for underserved communities.

Krystal also served nearly a decade as Executive Director of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and held prior roles with the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the State of Hawaii’s Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation. She is also the founder and President of Kaai Consulting Group, LLC, advising on public affairs, strategy, and policy.

A graduate of Lehigh University, Krystal resides in Honolulu, Hawai‘i with her husband.