Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 6, 1 June 1990 — Minority advocate award given Keale [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Minority advocate award given Keale

For his work in helping establish the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund, OHA trustee Moses K. Keale Sr. was honored with the "Minority Advocate of the Year for Kaua'i" award by the Small Business Administration. It was presented by the SBA along with four major small business organizations: Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i, Hawai'i Business League, Nahonal Federation of Independent Business, and Small Business Hawai'i. The awards were presented at the Ilikai Hotel, Honolulu. A Small Business Person of the Year luneheon and award ceremony was held, May 4 for the 15 recipients from all the islands. Recipients were selected by the Honolulu Regional Advisory Council's awards panel. In the award citation it was noted that Keale has devoted himself to furthering the needs and interests of minority business persons. As an OHA trustee he recognized the need for Hawaiians to achieve "eeonomie self-determination" and was instrumental in the creation of the NHRLF, a fouryear, $3 million project fundedby the Administration for Native Americans. As a member of the NHRLF board, he makes certain the staff provides any technical assistance necessary to eaeh loan recipient to help the recipient achieve success in business. A full-blooded Hawaiian, Keale was raised on Ni'ihau and represents the islands of Ni'ihau and

Kaua'i on the OHA board of trustees. He is also OHA's representative to various South Pacific Island groups and he has long been active in other Hawaiian and business organizations and his church. Gov. John Waihee was present at the luneheon and he extended his congratulation to the awardees. State of Hawai'i awardees were: George Chu of GBC ine. Renato and Shirley Ibanez of Central Maui Produce, Glen N. Minami of Blue Hawai'i Surf ine., Thomas Whittemore of First Hawaiian Bank, Phyliss Shea of Shea & Company C.P.A., Rex Y. Matsuno of Suisan Company Ltd., and Dr. Gene Ward of Hawai'i Entrepreneurship Training and Development Institute, who won two awards. Island of Hawai'i awardees were: Henry Otani of the Contracting Company Ltd., and Glen G. Uchimura of Glen G. Uchimura C.P.A. Island of Kaua'i awardees were: Dennis 01iver of Puni Nani Pools ine., Scott Phillipson of Water Sports Kaua'i ine. and Moses K. Keale Sr. of OHA. Island of Maui awardee was Larry Jefts of Larry Jefts Farms. Island of O'ahu awardee was Kent T. Untermann of Pictures Plus. Island of Guam/Pacific Islands Small Business Person of the Year was William Thomasson of Thomasson Enterprises ine.