Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 3, 1 March 1989 — Trustees Select Paglinawan As Administrator [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Trustees Select Paglinawan As Administrator

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has announced the selection of Richard Kekumuikawaiokeola Paglinawan as its new administrator, effective March 1. Paglinawan was chosen from a field of 43 applicants during OHA's monthly board meeting on January 30. The announcement was made on February 1. OHA Chairman Thomas K. Kaulukukui, Sr. said, "I am very pleased that a person of Mr. Paglinawan's stature, experience and administrative skills has agreed to serve as our administrator. His proven ability during some 20 years in state government positions, combined with his knowledge of Hawaiian cultural practices and his work toward bettering the conditions of Hawaiians make him an ideal ehoiee." Paglinawan said he looks forWard to being a part of the growth and maturation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. That process, he said, "involves Hawaiians making their own mistakes and learning from these mistakes; also achieving success upon successes." Paglinawan has served as deputy director of the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (19681975), deputy director of the former Department of Social Services and Housing (1975-1976) and special projects coordinator for the Housing Finance & Development Corporation of the Department of Business and Eeonomie Development (1986-1988).

In the private sector, between 1963 and 1968, he was a social worker and VISTA supervisor at Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center. Before coming to OHA, he was tenant services branch chief for the Hawai'i Housing Authority, Department of Human Services. As an undergraduate student at the University of Hawai'i, Paglinawan minored in anthropology and trained in Hawaiian archaeology under Dr. Kenneth Emory. He studied the Hawaiian language for four years with the Reverend Samuel Keala and Dr. Samuel Elbert. He worked with the late Mary Kawena Pukui for about 15 years, studying social and mental health practices of native Hawaiians as well as the Hawaiian method of problem resolution called "ho'oponopono. " Paglinawan earned his B.A. degree in sociology from the University of Hawai'i in 1960 and a M.S.S. at the UH School of Social Work in 1962. He and his wife, Lynette, who also holds a master's degree in social work, are the parents of four children. Paglinawan is the recipient of the National Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Loeal History, the Meritorious Award for Outstanding Educational Services by the State Department of Education, and was nominated as Young Public Servant of the Year by the Hawai'i Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Richard K. Pagllnawan