On Election Eve, OHA Trustees Spiral Out of Control
by Andrew Walden
After a year and a half of insanity, what were OHA Board of Trustees Chair Kai Kahele’s final acts before the election which may shift his 5-4 Board of Trustees majority?
- Cutting and running from a CEO vote he was going to lose.
- Gutting an entire department of OHA staff. (Action Item BOT #26-15: Approval of Revisions to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Strategy and Implementation Paia Organizational Chart, Including the Establishment of Consultant Positions and Changes to Director-Level Leadership and Reporting Relationships.)
- Delivering a pointless and obviously political ‘censure’ to the four trustees who had the temerity to reject the idea that the Board Chair could simply snatch away the function of CEO, starting with the hash-of-a-budget Kahele presented in June, 2025.
- Releasing a useless so-called ‘investigative report’ which, he claims clears him and convicts ousted OHA CEO Stacey Ferreira.
When an hours-long OHA Trustees morning meeting, Monday, November 2, 2026, broke for lunch, Kahele snuck into his office and hastily pasted together a “cancellation announcement” illegally killing the specially-called 2pm BoT meeting at which a new CEO was to be selected.
Trustees were not notified in advance and were not given a chance to vote on cancellation. Dozens of OHA beneficiaries gathered for the special meeting were left hanging.
Why?
Kahele’s cancellation announcement claims, ‘unforeseen circumstances’ –which would be a legal reason for cancellation, if it were true.
But in his news release, Kahele paints the cancellation as being tied to the upcoming November 3, 2026, election, which is most definitely a ‘foreseen’ circumstance:
Kahele also addressed the ongoing selection process for OHA’s next Chief Executive Officer and Administrator, expressing his support for a brief deferral of the final decision until after Hawaiʻi’s Nov. 3 general election.
With the possibility of changes in Board membership, Kahele said allowing the election to conclude before finalizing the appointment would help ensure continuity, institutional stability and a productive relationship between the next CEO and the Board of Trustees.
“Our responsibility is not to rush this decision, but to get it right,” Kahele said.
Apparently the vote was going to be 5-3 in favor of Todd Apo as OHA’s new CEO with Brickwood Galuteria absent from the afternoon meeting and John Waihee IV joining trustees Akina, Akaka, Alapa, and Lindsey in voting for Apo.
Being about to lose the vote is not a legal reason to cancel a Board meeting under Hawaii Sunshine Law.
Not wanting to ‘rush’ is also not a legal reason to cancel the meeting.
Here is today’s OHA news release:
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OHA Board Advances Transparency and Accountability, Highlights Major Accomplishments and Commitment to Native Hawaiian Beneficiaries
Board makes independent investigation documents public, addresses CEO selection process and outlines significant progress in stewardship, community investments and institutional reform
News Release from OHA, Nov 2, 2026
HONOLULU (Nov. 2, 2026) — The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees today took a significant step toward strengthening public trust and institutional accountability by authorizing the public release of independent investigation documents involving OHA’s former Chief Executive Officer, following legal review and appropriate redactions to protect individual privacy and legally privileged information.
During a press conference today, OHA Board Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to transparency, responsible stewardship of beneficiary resources and restoring public confidence in the institution, while highlighting a year of substantial accomplishments on behalf of Native Hawaiians.
“Our beneficiaries deserve an institution that is transparent in its actions, accountable for its decisions, and responsible in its stewardship of the resources entrusted to it,” said Chair Kahele. “That is the standard we must hold ourselves to.”
The independent investigation documents are now publicly available through OHA’s official website at www.oha.org.
Kahele emphasized that the release follows a legal review designed to protect employees and witnesses who participated in good faith, individual privacy interests and information protected by law or legal privilege.
“The documents speak for themselves,” Kahele said. “We will not characterize their findings or use them to advance a case against any individual. This is not about personalities. It is not about political differences. And it is not about declaring winners or losers. It is about the institution, its fiduciary responsibilities, and the public trust.”
Kahele said the Board’s action is intended to help move OHA beyond speculation and uncertainty, allowing the institution to refocus its attention and resources on its core mission of improving the well-being of Native Hawaiians.
CEO Selection and Leadership Transition
Kahele also addressed the ongoing selection process for OHA’s next Chief Executive Officer and Administrator, expressing his support for a brief deferral of the final decision until after Hawaiʻi’s Nov. 3 general election.
With the possibility of changes in Board membership, Kahele said allowing the election to conclude before finalizing the appointment would help ensure continuity, institutional stability and a productive relationship between the next CEO and the Board of Trustees.
“Our responsibility is not to rush this decision, but to get it right,” Kahele said.
He emphasized that selecting OHA’s next chief executive is among the Board’s most consequential responsibilities and that the process must support a successful leadership transition, maintain employee confidence and strengthen beneficiary trust.
A Year of Significant Accomplishments
Despite a challenging year marked by heightened public scrutiny and institutional change, Kahele said OHA has continued to advance its mission through substantial financial investments, partnerships, land stewardship initiatives and programs directly benefiting Native Hawaiian communities.
Among the major accomplishments highlighted were:
- $55 million in Public Land Trust revenues: OHA secured revenues owed to Native Hawaiians, with resources now moving toward programming through partnerships announced Oct. 23.
- $16.73 million in community investments: OHA distributed funding to grassroots organizations providing housing, health, education, cultural and economic support to Native Hawaiian families statewide.
- $5.2 million for a Native Hawaiian Cultural Center: The Board approved funding to advance a cultural center dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Native Hawaiian language, history, traditions and cultural practices.
- Kakaʻako Ma Kai partnership with DHHL: OHA advanced a partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands involving the property known as Lot I, creating opportunities for housing, responsible land development and long-term benefits for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
- Native Hawaiian Trust Fund surpasses $955 million: The Trust Fund reached a significant financial milestone, underscoring OHA’s commitment to prudent investment management and long-term stewardship.
- Historic investment in Hawaiian-focused charter schools: OHA made its largest-ever single investment in Hawaiian-focused charter schools, supporting education grounded in Hawaiian language, culture and identity.
- Legacy lands and ʻāina stewardship: OHA advanced land acquisition due diligence and preservation efforts involving the Kāneiʻolouma Heiau Complex on Kauaʻi, approximately 1,980 acres adjacent to Wao Kele o Puna on Hawaiʻi Island, and the Kalaeuila and Wailupe parcels on Oʻahu.
- Housing and economic opportunity: OHA continued helping Native Hawaiian families pursue homeownership through its Access to Home Ownership program while providing access to capital through its Mālama Loan programs.
- Emergency disaster relief: Through the I Ola emergency relief program, OHA delivered critical assistance to Native Hawaiian communities affected by severe storms during 2026.
- Cultural stewardship and repatriation: OHA facilitated the return of iwi kūpuna and sacred objects from Northern Ireland to Hawaiʻi.
- Youth leadership development: OHA restored ʻAha ʻŌpio and its Washington, D.C., Congressional Fellowship to cultivate future generations of Native Hawaiian leaders.
- Employee investments: OHA advanced merit-based salary increases and provided 12 weeks of paid family leave as part of its commitment to becoming an employer of choice.
- Governance and accountability reforms: OHA advanced reforms designed to strengthen fiduciary oversight, institutional accountability and standards governing trustee conduct and responsibilities.
Kahele credited these accomplishments to the collective efforts of OHA’s 165 employees, trustees, legislative partners, community organizations and beneficiaries.
“These accomplishments did not happen because of any one individual,” Kahele said. “They happened because of the collective commitment of our employees, trustees, community partners, legislative partners, and beneficiaries.”
Renewed Focus on OHA’s Mission
Kahele acknowledged that the institution has faced significant challenges but emphasized that OHA’s responsibilities to its beneficiaries remain unchanged.
He pointed to the continuing pressures of housing affordability, the cost of living, threats to ʻāina and natural resources, and the need to protect Hawaiian language, culture and traditions while advancing greater Native Hawaiian self-determination and self-reliance.
“The measure of this institution will not be determined by the controversies it has faced, but by how responsibly it responds to them and how effectively it delivers for the people it was created to serve,” Kahele said.
He stressed that transparency and accountability are essential to OHA’s mission and that the institution must hold itself to the same standards it expects of its community partners and organizations receiving OHA funding.
Closing his remarks, Kahele reflected on the generations of Native Hawaiians whose determination led to OHA’s establishment in 1978 and the responsibility of today’s leadership to protect that legacy.
“Our kūpuna planned for us. Now it is our responsibility to plan for our moʻopuna,” Kahele said. “That is our kuleana. That is our commitment. And that is the work we must continue together.”
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The Public Trust – Fiduciary Duty, Transparency, and Accountability
News Release from OHA, Nov 2, 2026
A Report of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees on Internal Governance and Independent Investigations.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a public trust institution, and our beneficiaries deserve transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of their trust resources.
The public has a legitimate interest in understanding how OHA is governed, how its senior leadership conducts the affairs of the institution, and how beneficiary resources are managed.
The Board’s decision to release these complaints and investigative reports, subject to appropriate legal review and redactions to protect individual privacy and privileged information, reflects our fiduciary responsibility and commitment to transparency and accountability.
This is about lifting OHA out of the cloud of speculation, restoring public trust and confidence, and allowing our Trustees, administration, and employees to move forward with the important business of OHA.
This is not about individuals, personalities, or politics. It is about responsible governance, institutional accountability, and honoring the trust placed in us by our beneficiaries.
Transparency and accountability are not optional for a public trust institution. They are fundamental to our responsibility to the lāhui.
Read The Report
Notices of Censure:
Trustee Kaleihikina Akaka
Trustee William Keliʻi Akina
Trustee Luana Alapa
Trustee Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey