Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 1987 — Keale Given Unanimous Board Chairman Vote [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Keale Given Unanimous Board Chairman Vote

Moiokai's Hao is Vice Chairman

Moses K. Keale Sr., Trustee representing beneficiaries on Kauai and Niihau, is the new chairman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees. Keale, who has served on the board since the first elections in 1980, was elected by fellow board members in a unanimous action at the group's first organizational meeting Dec. 2. Also elected with him was Louis Hao, Trustee from Molokai, as vice chairman. The new board chairman, who had served as chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, succeeds former At-Large Trustee Rockne C. Freitas who was chairman for 10 months. Freitas did not run for reelection. Both Keale and Hao are among the four holdovers elected in 1984. The others are Thomas K. (Unele Tommy) Kaulukukui Sr., Trustee-at-Large, and Moanikeala Akaka, Trustee representing Hawaii. The four holdovers along with the five newly-elected Trustees took their oaths of office Dec. 5 in the chambers of Hawaii Chief Justice Herman Lum who did the honors. It was at the request of OHA Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III that all nine be allowed to take the oath of office "so that the new Board could begin its work solidly together." "Not to have done so," Kanahele explained, "would have divided our house without our realizing it." The five recently elected trustees are Rodney K. Burgess III, A. Frenchy DeSoto and Kevin (Chubby) Mahoe, At-Large; Clarence F. T. Ching, Oahu; and Manu Kahaialii, Maui. T rustees on the e vening of Dec . 5 participated in a rehearsal for their first ever formal investiture the next day at historic Kawaiahao Church. A separate story on the ceremony is found eisewhere in this issue. It was a very busy first two weeks in December for the Board whieh met with the OHA staff Dec. 8 and followed this up with its first business meeting Dec. 12 when Kanahele was given a new two-year contract. At

the same meeting, Federal Liaison Officer Larry Kamakawiwo'ole's contract was extended another year. Kamakawiwo'ole, incidentally, received his law

degree from Georgetown University Dec. 18 and is currently back home studying for the Hawaii bar examinations.

Chief Justice Herman Lum of the Hawaii State Supreme Court administers oath of office to all nine Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, from left to right, Kevin (Chubby) Mahoe, A. Frenchy DeSoto, Moses K. Keale Sr., Rodney Kealiimahiai Burgess III, Clarence F. T. Ching, Manu Kahaialii, Louis Hao, Moanikeala Akaka and Thomas K. Kaulukukui Sr.