2026 Maui Trustee Candidate
- Age – 63
- Occupation – Self employed
- Where did you grow up – Honolulu, Oʻahu,
- Schooling – McKinnley High
- Current residence – Lahaina, Maui
- 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.
- I’ve sat on boards and commissions for over 27 years. I also held the position of chair for the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council, an advisory for the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
- To advocate for the betterment of conditions thru section 5(f) of the Hawaiʻi Admissions Act establishes the state’s Public Land Trust, which holds roughly 1.4 million acres of Hawaiian crown and government lands.
It mandates the state to use these lands and their revenues for five specific purposes including the betterment of Native Hawaiians and support for public education.
The State of Hawaiʻi serves as the trustee of these lands. Historical disputes over the trust management have revolved around them.
Key specifications of the 5(f) Public Land Trust includes:- Public schools and educational institutes.
- Betterment of the conditions of Native Hawaiians.
- Development of farm and home ownership.
- Public improvements.
- Lands for public use.
The pro-rata shares: by state laws and the Hawai‘i State Constitution, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is entitled to 20% of all 5(f) ceded land revenues.
- The U.S. military occupies over 250,000 acres in Hawaiʻi, largely on seized Kingdom of Hawaiʻi crown and government lands (ceded lands). While major training leases for 46,000+ acres expire in 2029, recent renewals and state negotiations face intense local scrutiny over environmental degradation and Indigenous rights. Which more shows that the US military has failed their fiduciary duties to protect our land and ocean resources with mandates that they be used to benefit the general public and Native Hawaiians – which they have not.
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?
