Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 6, 1 June 2022 — OHA Welcomes New Community Engagement Director [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Welcomes New Community Engagement Director

By Puanani Fernandez-Akamine Capsun M. Poe has joined the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) as the agency s new community engagement director. Poe previously worked for the State of Hawai'i Department of Education where he served as the branch administrator and legislative coordinator. In this capacity, Poe functioned as a program director, project manager, marketing specialist and as legislative session staff. Poe has a master's degree in puhlie heahh and 19 years of experience in planning, management, analysis, and in the administration of government and nonprofit programs; as well as extensive experience with relationship management and stakeholder engagement. He previously worked at OHA from 2007-2016 serving as trustee aide, policy advocate and board secretary. "The community engagement director is a key position within the restructured OHA executive team and we are pleased that Capsun returns to OHA with his broad community, legislative and policy experiences to advance our Mana i Mauli Ola strategic plan through statewide eommu-nity-based puhlie policy and advocacy work," said OHA CEO Dr. Sylvia Hussey. In his new role at the agency, Poe will report to OHA Chief Operations Officer Casey Brown and oversee OHA's Compliance and Enforcement Department, and Community Engagement's

Puhlie Policy team with staff located on O'ahu and at OHA's neighbor island offices. Poe will also collaborate with OHA's chief advocate and her team to advance puhlie policy aetivities at the community, county and state levels, and with OHA's communications department and beneficiary services to engage with communities throughout the pae aina. "I am grateful and excited for this opportunity to return to the 'OHAna in service of a thriving lāhui," said Poe. "With the eollective efforts of our community, employees, partners, and policy makers, we ean create opportunities to engage and take action for the betterment of the conditions for Native Hawaiians. I look forward to the conversations, collaboration, and work that lies ahead to fulfill OHA's Mana i Mauli Ola strategic plan." ■

Capsun M. Poe, OHA Community Engagement Director. - Photo: Courtesy