Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 1, 1 January 2011 — 'Aloha is first' [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'Aloha is first'

OHA s newest Trustee Peter Apo takes his seat at the table By Francine Murray Aloha is more than hello and goodbye, it's more than the Golden Rule. It is a lifestyle, in whieh you leave people and plaees better than when you arrived. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is pleased to weleome an ambassador of aloha to its Board of Trustees. "Aloha is first," says Peter Apo, who took the oath of office Dec. 21 as O'ahu Trustee, a four-year term. "I really enjoy helping people, and putting forward Hawaiian concepts. I really think Hawaiians have something to offer the world." Starting in puhlie office in 1980 as the OHA Trustee representing O'ahu, Apo describes being one of the first OHA Trustees as if they were "deer in headlights. It was pretty overwhelming." The Board started from scratch with no history and no money. Eaeh of the inaugural Trustees eame with a different vision of what OHA was intended to do. "I remember we had a tough time just getting past who was going to facilitate our discussions on the strategic plan. Despite our disagreements there was a lot of love. We meant well and we were really trying. Eventually, Tommy Kaulukukui Sr. was the voice of reason. He was like the kupuna, J the steady hand. He ended JT~

up chairing the organization, and it kind of settled down afterward." Apo was one of the five members with a two-year-term; the other four seats had four-year-terms in keeping with staggered elections. In 1982, the Honolulu Advertiser observed, "The decision by several members of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees to run for the state Legislature is a natural progression." OHA Trustees

Dr. A. Leiomalama Solomon and Apo had decided that jL for Hawaiian *.'"J

voices to be heard there needed . t o md

be more Hawaiians in the Legislature. "So in 1982, she and I decided to run for the Legislature and fortunately we both got in," Apo recalls. "I learned a lot about how the economy works in Hawai'i," Apo said, serving as a Representative of the State Legislature for 12 years. "I particularly leamed about the challenges of everyday people, poor people, the indigent and health issues, all tragic,

tragic stories. People who are looking to govemment for help and a lot of the time you can't help because it's not within the scope of your responsibility. Or many times, if it is, there are not enough resources to go around. I've learned a lot about Hawai'i and how it functions. The good stories and the bad, I really treasure all of it. I think it makes me a better puhlie policymaker, because I have that background." "About a year ago, I started getting this sense that there was a critical window of opportunity that's going to run for about four to six years," said Apo. "I think there are opportunities, and we have to move. If we don't, I think we are going to have a lot of lost opportunities." This is why he decided to return to OHA. "I think the stars seem to be lining up. The power of Hawaiians is at a point, and the skill sets are in plaee. Leadership

is starting to rise in the young

Hawaiian sector, and they are ready to roll. I think OHA has to play a primary role in mustering the Hawaiian community to move forward, and to lead growth in Hawai'i into the next part of the 21 st eentury." When Hawaiian values are applied to business, the measures of success begin to change and broaden. The prevailing model of a successful company includes only two things: revenue production and how well it performs its duties, Apo explains. It all comes down to the bottom line. "But if you bring Hawaiian values into a corporate setting the whole operation changes in the way you do things. It is easier said than done, but there are ways of accomplishing it and motivating the work force, whieh increases the production and the quality of the service. If you are doing it the Hawaiian way, it's all about the dignity of work and respecting eaeh other. It yields making it a better plaee. This is where commerce meets culture." Values are important. "It's actually the one thing I advocate," said Apo. "It is the one constant, whatever I am doing. The problem is that for the work plaee, do you agree on what values you all hold dear? Trying to create that system of shared values, I think is always \ good for an organization." ■

Returning OHA Trustee Peter Apo was among the agency's first group of Trustees, in 1 980. - Photo : KW0Archives

In an hourlong conversation, Trustee Peter Apo discusses how his 1 2 years as a state Representative make him a better policymaker and how he sees leadership starting to rise among young Hawaiians. "They are ready to roll," he says. - Photos: John Matsuzaki