Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 11, 1 November 2014 — An honor and a privilege [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

An honor and a privilege

As I write this message of aloha, I struggle with finding the right words; I struggle with trying to convey the right message. I get choked up just thinking about it . . . it is difficult to say goodbye to a group of people who have been a big part of my life for 14 years. As I reflect on years past, I have eome to realize that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has

grown from a struggling, landless, government-based organization to a multi-faceted, complex structure with a 26,000-acre land base with a strong balance sheet. Today, as I see it, OHA is poised and ready for its next level of change and ean look forward to continued growth by leveraging its land base and balance sheet. The future for OHA and for our beneficiaries is bright, and I am excited about the possibilities. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to be a part of OH A' s forward movement and hope that I have been an integral part of this movement. Tremendous positive change has been made since 2000, and it is my hope that I have left my thumbprint on OH A' s legacy. OHA's future rests in the hands of those who will step in to carry out its mission. I wish nothing but the best for our trustees, our employees and our Hawaiian eommunity as we continue our march toward a brilliant future for all Hawaiians. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for his blessings and for his guiding hand in all that I have done during my tenure at OHA. I am thankful to my wife, Ku'ulei, who quietly supports me and takes care of our family. I am thankful to my children, Lei-Ann and Patrick, and my grandchildren, U'ilani, Moku and Haku, who provide daily doses of family time, love

and laughter. I am thankful for partnerships I have forged with trustees that I have worked with over the years to do what is best for our Hawaiian community. I am thankful for every OHA employee, past and present, who has dedicated their time to work for the betterment of our people; and I mahalo eaeh of them for working with me to fulflll our mission. I am thankful for our benefl-

ciaries - keiki to kupuna - and the opportunity afforded me to serve eaeh and every one of you. Mahalo for allowing me to share a small part of my life with you; it has been humbling and rewarding. I have enjoyed sharing stories with you and building friendships. I have reveled in helping flnd solutions when things have gone sideways. I have treasured the moments when we have been successful, and I have overcome disappointment when success was not within our reach. Most invaluable has been the camaraderie shared as we resolved that today's failure justmight be tomorrow's success. In good times and in bad, we must always have faith; we must never lose hope; we must always press forward. I have learned mueh from eaeh of you, and I will forever be grateful that you elected me to serve you all these years. No matter where I am in life's journey, you will be there with me for the memories will always remain. A philosophy I live by is that we must always, always close circles. We must close circles with respect, with love, with charity and with acknowledging the best in every person and in all things. Although bittersweet, the time has eome for me to close my OHA circle. It has been an honor and a privilege. Me ke aloha pumehana. ■

ŪZ Stender Trustee. At-large