Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 9, 1 September 1992 — OHA adds new staff [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA adds new staff

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs named Jerry A. Walker as its deputy administrator, starting Aug.

1. Walker was deputy director of the Department of Heakh for the last five years. He replaces Stanley L. Lum, who retired in August. Walker was selected because he is "a professional in program management, an individual with legislative experi-

enee and has the ability to form strong working relationships," said Richard Paglinawan, OHA administrator. "Mr. Walker is in all ways a suitable successor to Mr. Lum," he said. While deputy director for the Department of Heahh, Walker managed a 13-member multi-hos-pital system with 3,000 employees. Previously, he served as administrator for Maui Memorial Hospital and as business manager for Waimano School and Hospital. He also worked in the Department of Education for a number of years. All together, he has about 22 years in state government service.

Born and raised in the islands, Walker is 1/1 6th Hawaiian and holds a master's degree in public health from the University of Hawai'i. He is also a member of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, E Ola Mau, the National Association of Accountants, the State Planning and Development Agency and the Maui Chamber of Commerce. Some of his first duties will be to review operahonal and personnel guidelines as well as play a major role in the budgeting process.

Other new faces at OHA John Serrano joined OHA, July 1, as a loan officer in its Revolving Loan Fund. Previously he was with First Interstate Bank and has four years of experience in financing. Pikake Pelekai is OHA's new culture officer. She holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a master's in education and has taught Hawaiian language and culture at UH-Hilo and Windward Community College. She has also served as assistant director of Hawaiian Studies at UH-Manoa and directed the special programs and community services office at Leeward Community College. As culture officer, she hopes to create a data base of Hawaiian resources that ean be used to quickly answer many of the cultural questions asked by the community.

Assisting her is Manu Boyd, who joins OHA as a culture specialist. Most recently he was with the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau where he edited the "Hawaiian Beat", HVB's monthly newsletter. He has had 10 years' exjrerience as a chanter and has led such events as the ceremonial return of the Hokule'a in 1988 and the inauguration of Gov. John Waihe'e in 1991. He is fluent in the Hawaiian language and won a Na Hoku Hanohano haku mele award for Hawaiian language composition in 1984.

Another new staff member is employed in OHA's planning and research division. Luis Manrique joins OHA ffom a private practice with 10 years of research experience in Hawai'i. Manrique is originally from Peru. Currently, he is working on the first-ever Native Hawaiian Data Book. The book will be a valuable resource to policy makers, the media and the Hawaiian community.

Jerry Walker