2026 Trustee At-Large Candidate
- Age – 55
- Occupation – OHA Trustee At-Large
- Where did you grow up – Kalihi, Oʻahu
- Schooling – UH Mānoa, HCC
- Current residence – Kalihi, Oʻahu
- Website – n/a
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.
- The upcoming years will be pivotal ones for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and our beneficiaries. With recent federal policy decisions set to defund many programs currently serving Native Hawaiians, while anti-Hawaiian forces attack Hawaiian-serving institutions like the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and Kamehameha Schools, it will be imperative for OHA to stand ready to offset the negative impacts expected to arise.
Furthermore, because the majority of OHA’s budget is currently derived from the Native Hawaiian Trust fund earnings, we must also continue to focus on the overall performance of our whole portfolio to produce the best results. I believe that my years of experience at OHA in a variety of capacities, dealing and succeeding with issues such as these, will be pivotal in addressing these significant issues. - I believe our role is to protect and expand our Native Hawaiian Trust Fund and our beneficiaries’ proprietary interest in it. Simultaneously, we must create programs for our beneficiaries and advocate for them at all levels of governmental and private sectors, to improve their quality of life and protect their traditional cultural and natural resources.
- I believe that OHA’s position on this issue should be motivated first and foremost by the recognition that our lands and water are trusts for our people and champion strongly for their protection as such. In situations where the military is mismanaging these precious resources, OHA should advocate for the termination of their leases. I also believe OHA needs to advocate for an equitable share of revenue using a fair pro-rata formula and based on an accurate accounting of the military lands and the revenue generated from them. I disagree with this question’s assertion that we currently “derive” one.
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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