According to the Liliʻuokalani Trust, 62% of the population on Molokaʻi is Native Hawaiian – OHA beneficiaries!
We must have a Molokaʻi OHA office that is an inviting place to gather and provides efficient internet connection and other support resources. It will benefit the majority of the island! It is time to bring light and brightness to the office – which also includes care for the exterior spaces as well as the office itself.
Here are photos of our Molokaʻi OHA Office in Kalamaʻula at Kulana ʻŌiwi Center. As your new trustee, I want to create an office that respects beneficiaries, encourages kūkā, and supports working on issues in a place as inviting as those on Oʻahu. I hope that our Maui County COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted soon so that I can have opportunities to meet more of you and learn more about important concerns for our islands.
Exterior and interior views of OHA’s Molokaʻi office at the Kūlana ʻŌiwi Center. – Photos: Courtesy
Keeping You Informed
My ongoing goal is to report back to our community. I, personally, get frustrated when officials appear and then we never hear from them again. I want to be accessible and will do my best to keep you updated and informed.
Update on our Issues
“Doing better with what we have.” OHA has been reorganizing its staffing and operations. Trustees are currently reviewing the budget for OHA administration, as recommended by the CEO. I am making every effort to get my arms around how the dollars are being spent. I’m especially concerned with where is there redundancy? Are we overstaffed? Are we understaffed in certain areas? If you have any insights about this, let me know!
“Supporting Molokaʻi.” I am dedicated to having OHA’s projects, such as refurbishing our office, serviced and accomplished by our on-island labor force. Our community has a solid, skilled and knowledgeable workforce to engage with OHA to meet its improved vision as we move into a new era of service. OHA wants to pay fairly and reasonably and avoid inflated costs that take dollars away from beneficiary funds.
Let me know about your experiences. Have you tried to access the procurement process for goods and services and been discouraged? Contact my Trustee Aide (pohair@oha.org) and let me know if you want to share your manaʻo.
