The search for the next administrator and chief executive officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is about more than filling a position. It is about finding the right leader for a unique Hawaiʻi institution.
OHA is not a conventional corporation, nonprofit, or government agency. We are a constitutionally established institution governed by nine elected trustees. Trustees change. Board leadership rotates. Priorities evolve. Opportunities and challenges arise.
Our next administrator must understand that reality and thrive within it.
Two Hawaiian concepts describe what this position requires: kuleana and kūlana: understanding the responsibility entrusted to you and the place you occupy in carrying it out.
The Board has its own agency and kuleana. Trustees establish policy, set strategic direction, and provide governance and oversight. The administrator leads the organization charged with turning that direction into action.
Those roles should not compete. They should complement one another.
I believe leadership begins with aloha and a simple question: How can I help you succeed? Leadership is not about accumulating authority or protecting titles. It is about empowering others, accepting responsibility, and creating conditions for people and organizations to succeed.
We need a servant leader with the humility to understand that the title is a privilege, not an entitlement. Someone secure enough in their accomplishments to put mission ahead of ego and work effectively with trustees, board chairs, and different leadership styles while remaining grounded in OHA’s purpose: improving the lives of Native Hawaiians.
But humility does not mean passivity.
OHA needs an administrator who brings ideas, innovation, and informed recommendations to the Board. Someone curious enough to understand the organization, willing to ask difficult questions, identify risks, challenge assumptions respectfully, and ensure OHA does not go off course.
Our CEO must understand that OHA is both an administrative institution and an advocate for the lāhui. Managing people, resources, lands, and programs is essential. But OHA also exists to advance Native Hawaiian interests. Our administrator must help transform the Board’s priorities into meaningful policy and action.
Adaptability will be equally important. Leadership at OHA changes every two to four years. The environment surrounding our work can change even faster. What does not change is our mission. Our administrator must, therefore, be loyal not to a particular chair, trustee, or moment in time, but to the institution, its beneficiaries, and its purpose.
One of the most important measures of leadership is what remains after we are gone.
Successful leaders build institutions stronger than any individual. Our next administrator should develop people, strengthen systems, build organizational capacity, and cultivate future leaders. OHA’s success should never depend upon one chair, trustee, or CEO. Leadership is ultimately stewardship – leaving the institution stronger than you found it.
The Board has a responsibility in this partnership as well. We must articulate what success looks like. What should OHA accomplish in three to five years? How will we measure progress? What outcomes should beneficiaries expect?
The contract should represent more than a period of employment. It should reflect a shared commitment to accomplishing something meaningful for our lāhui.
Ultimately, we seek someone who does not simply want this job but consciously chooses this kuleana. Someone willing to lead and listen. To administer and advocate. To innovate, execute, empower, and be accountable. Someone who understands OHA’s challenges but sees greater possibilities for what this institution can become.
Is that leader you?
If these values resonate with you, if your talents and lived experience have prepared you for this kuleana, and if you are ready to help build a stronger OHA that will endure long after all of us are gone, we welcome you to apply through Kumabe HR.
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