2026 Trustee At-Large Candidate
- Age – 74
- Occupation – Artist-Planner-Entrepenuer
- Where did you grow up – Hauʻula and Pālolo, Oʻahu
- Schooling – Kamehameha Schools; UH Mānoa
- Current residence – Honolulu, Oʻahu
- Website – Burke4Aloha.com
Write-in Responses
Question 1Question 2Question 3
OHA’s mission is to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians. What unique skills and/or experiences do you bring to this kuleana to help OHA fulfill its mission?
What is your understanding of the role of an OHA trustee and their kuleana within the agency and to the lāhui?
Share your manaʻo on the military’s use of crown and government lands in Hawaiʻi given the impending expiration of multiple military land leases and the fact that OHA derives an annual pro rata revenue share from the military’s use of those lands.
- I consider myself a solution seeker, a strategist that strives to bring common ground with all parties in decision-making for planning from short to long term goals and objectives. To fulfill OHA’s mission is a complex collection of power, people and political alignments. To balance and incorporate cultural values and ancestral DNA that works for the present and into the future is a part of the mission. This needs all of Hawaiʻi’s people to work and believe in Hawaiian spiritual values and guiding principals for leadership.
- The OHA trustee is entrusted with the leadership path that brings the best results of benefits for the Hawaiian community. Using the ceded money revenue they are the creators for change and opportunity to raise the standards in all areas of life for the Hawaiian community. Health care, education, housing, social support services sustaining existing and developing opportunities as well as constantly building up the resource are all part of the being an OHA trustee.
- The military needs to pay the value of the land as it has a huge impact on all of Hawaiʻi. They need to reduce use of our lands for training purposes and also pay more for the use of our lands, especially those with live training that permanently damage our ʻāina, ocean and air. We need an accurate inventory on the “status” of those lands.
Yes/No Questions
Question 1Question 2Question 3Question 4Question 5
Do you support mandatory federal consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on all federal actions and processes concerning Native Hawaiian affairs?
In light of major cuts to Native Hawaiian-serving programs and OHA’s finite trust resources, do you believe OHA should play a role in helping address resulting Native Hawaiian community impacts through advocacy, partnerships, or other mitigation strategies?
Should telescope/observatory development on Maunakea and Haleakalā be stopped at least until mismanagement and legal claims to summit lands have been resolved?
In its role as an asset manager, OHA currently utilizes funds to purchase land with particular cultural, historical or ecological importance for their protection and preservation as needed.
Do you believe OHA should continue investing in these legacy land acquisitions when it determines those investments meaningfully advance its fiduciary obligations and long-term benefits to Native Hawaiian communities, even alongside other pressing beneficiary needs?
Do you believe OHA should continue investing in these legacy land acquisitions when it determines those investments meaningfully advance its fiduciary obligations and long-term benefits to Native Hawaiian communities, even alongside other pressing beneficiary needs?
Should the U.S. military be prevented from live-fire training in Hawaiʻi – both on land and in the surrounding ocean? Do you believe OHA should actively challenge or seek changes to military training activities in Hawaiʻi when those activities are perceived to negatively impact Native Hawaiian trust interests, cultural resources, environmental health, or access to culturally significant lands and waters?
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