Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 11, 1 Nowemapa 1993 — Paglinawan to retire as OHA administrator [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Paglinawan to retire as OHA administrator

Richard K. Paglinawan, Administrator of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs since March 1989, will retire Dec. 1. OHA Board of Trustees

Chairman Clayton Hee said, "Richard's service to OHA and the community will be sorely missed. He has had a long and distinguished career in public service, eulminating with his years here, and his retirement is well deserved." Paglinawan helped develop and imple-

ment OHA's first six-year, divi-sion-wide functional plan, and "I Luna A'e" (Moving Onward and Forward), a set of operational initiatives that include pursuing past-due entitlements from the state, federal legislation for self-determination, a single definition of the Hawaiian people, and Operation 'Ohana, a registry for people of Hawaiian ancestry. He also helped secure the staff and resources to ensure the success of new programs and offices, such as the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Program and the Housing Division and Culture Office. During his tenure, OHA formalized procedures for grants-in-aid, purchase of services, and donations. In making his plans known to the trustees and staff, Paglinawan said, "As I reflect on my years with OHA, I see

mueh was begun and mueh accomplished. It has been a great pleasure to see so many initiatives eome to fruition, and to see our programs and staff

progress and evolve. If there were difficult times and tasks, there have been rewarding moments and outcomes. My memories of service to OHA are cherished ones. and will sustain me in retirement."

Including his tenure at OHA, Paglinawan has 25 years of state government experience, including positions as deputy director at both the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Department of Social Services. Paglinawan brought a thorough cultural authority to his position al OHA. In addition to his formal graduate work at the University of Hawai'i's School of Social Work and undergraduate work in anthropology, he studied extensively wiih Mary Kawena Pūku'i on Hawaiian mental health practices, especially ho'oponopono, a uniquely Hawaiian method of conflict resolution. No replacement has been announced yet. OHA's chairman has appointed a search committee to begin the process of selecting the next administrator.

Richard K. Paglinawan