Steve Case, the largest shareholder of Maui Land & Pineapple Co. Inc., has joined the company's board of directors.

Case, who was born and raised in Hawai'i and co-founded AOL, owns 42 percent of the company that has struggled financially this year.

Maui Land announced Case's election to the board today, but did not immediately say how the move will affect the board's makeup. The company announced last month that company CEO and Chairman David Cole will step down at the end of the year. Succeeding Cole as board chairman will be former Hawaiian Tel CEO Warren Haruki. Replacing Cole as CEO will be Robert Webber, the company's chief operating officer.