Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 1, 1 January 2007 — OHA board votes to retain leadership [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA board votes to retain leadership

Apoliona stays on as board chairperson, Waihe'e as vice chair By KWŪ staff Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee At-large Haunani Apoliona has retained the chairmanship ot OHA's Board of Trustees, aftei the board met to vote on its leadership following a swear-ing-in and puhlie investiture ceremony at Kawaiaha'o Church on Dec. 6. Apoliona retained her chairmanship in a 6-2 vote, with Trustee At-large Rowena Akana receiving two votes. Recently re-elected Trustee At-large lohn

D. Waihe'e IV was unanimously chosen by the eight trustees present to continue as the board's vice chair. Waihe'e himself was absent from the meeting, however, due to illness. Hawai'i Island Trustee Linda Dela Cruz was also nominated for vice chair, but declined the nomination. Apoliona said her hope for the board's new term is to approach ; the many issues that face Native ' Hawaiians in a spirit of unity and cooperation. "Holomua kākou (progressing together) - that's the message," she said. "We get plenty work for do, starting with the things we laid out in the State of OHA speech. This is a great time for Hawaiians. We just have to work unified and disciplined. With everybody working together we will get it done, against any odds."

Officially joining the board was new O'ahu Trustee Walter Meheula Heen, who defeated incumbent Dante Carpenter in the Nov. 7 election. "It's a pleasure to be serving on this esteemed board," said Heen, who had earlier said he believes his extensive experienee as both a legislator and a judge will allow him to make a positive contribution to the OHA board. The board will continue to maintain two standing eommittees: Asset and Resource Management (ARM) and Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment (BAE). All nine trustees serve as members on both committees. Chairing the ARM Committee will be At-large Trustee Oz Stender, with Akana serving as vice chair. Continuing to chair the BAE Committee will be Moloka'i and Lāna'i Trustee Colette Machado, with Maui Trustee Boyd Mossman as vice chair. The leadership of the committees was approved

unanimously by a vote of 8-0. Stender said that since OHA has heeome a major landholder in the past year, "my major focus in terms of asset management will be to educate the trustees on the risks and rewards of real estate as part of OHA's asset portfolio mix." Machado said that she is looking forward to moving ahead on some of the goals the board has fallen short of achieving,

especially federal recognition for Native Hawaiians. "It's exciting times for all of us," she said. "Congratulations to all the trustees who are back at the table again; I feel that we have a great continuity. I think we are in a good position, and I personally look forward to 24 more months of working as diligently as we have been, in the spirit of working together."

NŪ HOU • NEWS

At-large Trustees Haunani Apoliona (right) and John Waihe'e IV were re-elected as the OHA Board's chairperson and vice chair, respectively. - Photo: Derek Fem