Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2014 — Home Lands trust represents opportunity for thousands of native Hawaiian families [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Home Lands trust represents opportunity for thousands of native Hawaiian families

By Department of Hawaiian Home Lands staff Tapped by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to head the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Jobie Masagatani accepted the appointment as chair of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and director of DHHL in May 2012. What she discovered was a department in disarray, burdened with longstanding issues that made forward progress for the department difficult. During her first year at the helm, DHHL faced a legislative audit of its loan portfolio and a series of articles in the newspaper critical of the department's revocable permit (RP) program. The challenges brought opportunities for reform, from Masagatani's perspective. The RP program, for example, has undergone a complete relook with the assistance of top cabinet officials. The recommendations, whieh are still under review, ean only help to improve the RP program's operations. Similarly, following the audit, an internal DHHL staff task force was set in plaee to systematically address the myriad of issues associated with DHHL's complex loan portfolio. In November 2013, Masagatani and her team presented a status report on the multi-pronged efforts being taken to address the audit findings to a joint hearing of the Senate Hawaiian Affairs, Senate Ways and Means, House Oeean Marine and Hawaiian Affairs and House Finance committees. If the laek of vocal criticism regarding the department's approach was any indication, it appears DHHL is on the right track. As stewards of the Hawaiian Home Lands trust, Masagatani feels a deep sense of kuleana to do all she ean to steer the department on the right path - a path that keeps the interests of the trust and the benefi-

ciaries as a whole paramount. She has been described by others as a "fierce negotiator" or someone that remains true to what she believes is right. When asked what she thinks of these descriptions, Masagatani pauses for a moment, "I think I get it from my family, especially my mom." In addition to dealing with these longstanding issues, Masagatani hopes to focus on housing affordability, agriculture on the home lands, water and energy issues, and DHHL's long-term hnaneial sustainability. "We have begun to make progress in all of these areas, whieh is exciting." Contributing her talents and knowledge for the benefit of Hawaiians was natural for Masagatani. After graduating from the Kamehameha Schools, Masagatani earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Northwestern University and a master's degree in public affairs/urban and regional planning from Princeton

University. Her first real job was working for the Office of Management and Budget, an agency within the executive office of the president in Washington, D.C. Returning home to Hawai'i, Masagatani began serving the Native Hawaiian community as a land investment analyst at the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate. Several years later, at the age of 30, she was appointed by Gov. Ben Cayetano to serve as the deputy to the chairman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, the youngest person ever appointed to a cabinet-level position at that time. Following her work at DHHL, she worked as an assistant to the president and chief executive officer of The Queen's Heahh Systems

focusing on Native Hawaiian heahh issues, then ran her own consulting business, moved to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as the public policy manager and later special assistant to the chief executive officer, before returning to DHHL. As the 25th chair to take up the reins at the 90-plus-year-old trust, Masagatani finds that at times the challenges at DHHL ean seemoverwhelming. Why does she continue? Masagatani explains: "People have told me DHHL was set up to fail. Perhaps. But, what I see is a trust that represents an opportunity - maybe the only opportunity - for thousands of native Hawaiian families to have an affordable plaee to live in Hawai'i, on the home lands. Managing the trust - it's hard work,

but important work for our eommunity." She credits her family, especially her parents, Frank and Ernesta Masagatani, and her children, Kalakea and Pomaikai Yamaguehi, with giving her the support she

needs to face the daily difficulties at DHHL. She also credits her staff. "I don't do it alone. I'm fortunate to have a hard-working dedicated staff that often puts up with a lot of abuse but continues to give so mueh to this program and the beneficiaries we serve." For Masagatani, to leave DHHL in a better condition than she found it is a personal mission. Her greatgrandmother Fanny Collins was one of the earliest homesteaders in Hoolehua, Moloka'i in 1926. The early successes of those hardy homesteaders allowed for the experiment that was Hawaiian Home Lands to continue. Ninety years later, Masagatani hopes to do her part to nurture Kūhiō's vision of a home lands that sustains the native Hawaiian people long into the future. ■

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Director Jobie Masagatani. - Courtesy: DHHL