Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 5, 1 May 1997 — Reform of OHA must occur [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Reform of OHA must occur

After a delay of 154 days, April 8, 1997 was a day of joy and celebration for the swearing in and seating of Trustee Colette Pi'ipi'i Machado and Trustee Hannah Kihalani Springer. Both have demonstrated extraordinary paūenee and commitment to their duties as trustees at personal cost to themselves. They have attended Board of Trustee and board committee meetings, provided valuable input and expert comments on issues, as echoed by Trustee Billie Beamer, who in a recent Star-Bulletin article "credits the inquisitiveness and dedication of the three new trustees for increasing dialogue at board meetings." We are grateful to the Supreme Court of the State of Hawai'i for ruling

in favor of the will of the Hawaiian electorate that exercised their voting rights and selected new trustees in November 1996. And it is the intent of the three new trustees to strive to balance and blend the expressions and eoncerns of the Hawaiian eleetorate into meastues and actions taken by the OHA Board of Trustees. In November 1996, Native Hawaiian beneficiaries exercised their desire for change, setting

standards for reform, through support for our philosophy by our election to OHA. Consistent with what we believe to be the expectation of beneficiaries to move away from "business as usual," we have worked diligently and presented our approach as a recommendation for board reform through committee restructuring to promote inclusivity, coordinated policy making, and appropriate applieahon of skilled experience versus exclusion, micro-management and the trading of votes. All of whieh are concerns that as candidates we heard from beneficiaries in 1996. Our proposed restructuring plan

included: 1) the streamlining of pohcy review and decisionmaking processes by reducing the number of trustee committees from six to four; 2) the maximizing of efficiency and reduction of cost for operating four pohcy making committees instead of six, 3) the wholistic and integrated approach of addressing funchonal rather than subject matter areas through committees entitled "Asset Management and Planning," "Beneficiary and Community Development," "Communications and Advocacy" and "Internal Policies"; and 3) the support for full input and open dialogue among ah trustees on the issues by involving ah trustees as members of eaeh committee thereby ensuring equal access to the decisionmaking process. This plan, offered as an alternative way of doing business, strives to buUd upon the positive dimensions of the Board using the best experience, talents and skiUs of every trustee. Reform as expressed by the beneficiaries in 1996 must occur; the times

require it and the people expect it. On Apnl 8, as board meeting minutes wiU reflect, a board majority composed of Trustees Aiona, Akana, Beamer, DeSoto, Keale and Hee took the lead in maintaining the status quo. This majority must now assume a primary responsibility in following through on their AprU 8 vote not simply as an action for that day but rather a collective confidence that binds

this majority to make sure the future directions of OHA have input from beneficiaries and are thoroughly deliberated by the fuU Board of Trustees with eomplete and comprehensive information and consideration of all sides of the issue. In the end, it will be our beneficiaries who will evaluate the outcomes of style and substance. We wiU eonūnue to assert what we believe to be the sentiment of Hawaiian people for progress and transformation of the Board of Trustees.

We are grateful to the Supreme Court of the State ofHawafi for ruling in favor ofthe will of ihe Hawaiian electorate

MAHHAHI ApiLlO HA Trustee, At-Large