The Hon. Dr. Hilda C. Heine was sworn in as the RMI’s first female president of the Marshall Islands on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. She was voted in by the Nitijela after the ousting of former President Casten Nemra two weeks into his presidency by a vote of no confidence. Dr. Heine is the first female leader of any independent Pacific island nation.

Dr. Heine has served as Deputy Minister of Education and former Secretary of Education and has held many leadership positions. She is credited with facilitating and improving significant educational and community programs and initiatives. She completed her undergraduate degree at University of Oregon (1970), her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instructions at the University of Hawaii (1975) and her Educational Leadership Ed.D. at the University of Southern California (2004).