Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 7, 1 July 2014 — DESOTO- MCCOLLOUGH [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DESOTOMCCOLLOUGH

Laura Lahilahi E Honolulu, O'ahu H Wai'anae High School C Waimea, Hawai'i lsland K Northwest Hawai'i lsland and Wai'anae Coast, O'ahu

1. Include our people, the beneficiaries, with the decisionmaking. As your newly elected trustee to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, I will be the voice of the people and focus on the issues that are barriers to self-sustainability and selfsufficiency. 2. The need to address the issues our people face today has been the driving force and determination to bring about change that I hear our beneficiaries want. I will contribute to conversations with board members on policies and work alongside beneficiaries and other groups that want to see changes. I am a professional Counselor by trade, in whieh I have worked and addressed the many disparities our people face on a daily basis such as: Education, Health, Socioeconomie, Judicial and Personal concerns. Whereas, I have the tools, knowledge and the resource to address these issues and identify the needs of our people. It is our people who are the experts in knowing the challenges we face every day. We just have to Ho'olohe. To be successful, we need the involvement and collaboration of our people in the policymaking process.

Q i C www.oha.org