Rex Johnson took the helm of the authority last September with an annual salary of $240,000 and a three-year contract. The agreement requires annual performance evaluations and allows for termination at any time.

The authority's executive committee met yesterday to discuss the evaluation. Board chairman Mike McCartney said the results will be kept confidential until the full board acts on a committee recommendation at a meeting this month.

McCartney said the board is putting Johnson on an annual review cycle.

When Johnson joined the authority he had no tourism industry experience but had served as director of several state agencies. His last job was as director of physical facilities at Kaka'ako for the University of Hawai'i's John A. Burns School of Medicine. He has also directed the Hawai'i Community Development Authority and the state Department of Transportation.

Johnson replaced Rick Humphreys, who was interim director of the authority.

Since Johnson took over, the authority has undertaken a transition in Hawai'i Convention Center marketing agencies from the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau to Philadelphia-based SMG, which also manages the center. Johnson spent much of his time during the last legislative session in hearings and meetings, and he is overseeing a new bidding process for the state's tourism marketing contract.

The authority's board is evaluating Johnson using a confidential survey of more than 30 people, including industry and government leaders, contractors, board members and staff of the authority.

"It gives you a good perspective of not only what you feel but what others feel," McCartney said. The committee is also considering other factors such as a self-evaluation.

The board has been criticized for not conducting a comprehensive review of the executive director's performance. A state auditor's report last year made several recommendations, including that the authority evaluate itself annually.

"We are doing our very best to comply with the recommendations by the auditor," McCartney said. "If HTA and the industry is going to get autonomy we've gotta demonstrate accountability."

Separately, Outrigger Enterprises chief executive David Carey is resigning from the board of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority citing family issues.

"I just didn't feel like I could handle the business, family and HTA all at once," Carey said. "I just look at the amount of work coming up and it's just enormous."

Carey has been on the board since its inception in 1998 and was appointed by Gov. Ben Cayetano. But Cayetano refused to reappoint Carey last year, and left the new governor the task of filling the position.

Gov. Linda Lingle did not reappoint Carey or replace him, allowing him to remain on the board.

Carey said he gave House Speaker Calvin Say, who can nominate authority members, suggestions for his replacement. In addition to candidates who could replace Carey, Say plans next week to send to Lingle nominees to fill another position on the authority board.