Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 12, 1 December 2022 — Galuteria and Souza Elected OHA At-Large Trustees [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Galuteria and Souza Elected OHA At-Large Trustees

lncumbents Akaka, Lindsey, Trask and Waihe'e Win Re-election

By Ed Kalama Former state senator Brickwood Galuteria and realtor/musician Keoni Souza will be two new faces on the OfRce of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees. Galuteria and Souza were elected as At-Large Trustees in November along with returning At-Large Trustee John Waihe'e IV. Attorney Mililani Trask won the Hawai'i Island Trustee race, O'ahu Trustee Kalei Akaka won reelection during the August primary, and OHA Board Chair and Maui Island Trustee Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey ran unopposed and was automatically reelected. OHA's Board of Trustees is made up of nine elected oflicials who serve four-year terms. Five of the seats represent specific islands: Kaua'i/Ni'ihau; O'ahu; Maui; Moloka'i/Lāna'i; and Hawai'i Island. Four of the seats are "At-Large." All new and reelected trustees - as well as those elected in 2020 including Kaua'i Island Trustee Dan Ahuna, Moloka'i and Lāna'i Trustee Luana Alapa and At-Large Trustee Keli'i Akina - will be sworn in at a formal investiture in December. Investiture ceremonies were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Galuteria served in the Senate for a decade. He is a Kamehameha Schools graduate who serves as a host for Kūpuna Power, a 30-minute television talk show that serves as a gateway to Hawai'i's aging network connecting older adults to vital community services. He is also one of the finer guitar players in the islands and has served on the boards of the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts and Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame,

among others. 'As a Hawai'i state senator from 2008 through 2018, Fve served alongside other dedicated puhlie servants, all trained to analyze and understand issues, evaluate different ideas and positions, and produce solutions that work for the greater good," Galuteria said. "I will bring to OHA the knowledge of governance, the subtleties of how government works, and the give-and-take required when crafting puhlie policy." Galuteria also said that collaboration is essential in the Kānaka Maoli community among Native Hawaiian organizations and that he will strive to create alliances among these like-minded entities. Souza, who describes himself as having "loeal roots, loeal values," was born and raised on the west side of O'ahu and is also a graduate of Kamehameha Schools. "Being educated at a Hawaiian institution taught me that we must all do our part to perpetuate our culture and heeome thought leaders in the community. My background as a flight attendant, musician, stevedore

and realtor has allowed me to serve the puhlie, travel the world, and understand the needs of the people of Hawai'i," he said. "My commitment is that I will be on the ground in our communities. The At-Large position encompasses representation for all of Hawai'i, not just a particular island. This allows me to be a voice for everyone and visit our communities at the grassroots level, listening to the eoncerns of our small business owners, ranchers, farmers, and thought leaders." Souza is also a talented musician having earned a Grammy nomination for his work with the group Nā Hoa. "I sing traditional Hawaiian music - music of the past, celebrating our ancestors. We must honor our ancestors with the work that we do. The people of Hawai'i, Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians alike, have a vote in OHA. OHA has a hand in many ventures that affect everyone. Therefore, everyone must be heard," he said. "We should strive to cultivate the aloha spirit as we navigate policy decisions and help beneficiaries thrive. It is my deepest hope that we ean change the look and feel of OHA." ■

Li it —mK/'iri AVT Ci Brickwood Galuteria

P Keoni Souza