Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 11, 1 Nowemapa 2014 — ACCOLADES FOR STENDER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ACCOLADES FOR STENDER

As his final days in office approached, OHA Trustee Oswald Stender was cast into the warm spotlight of recognition and appreciation. The OHA Board of Trustees bid him farewell at his last meeting on Oct. 1 6, pietured far right. Two weeks earlier, Stender, who did not seek re-election, was honored with the 2014 Community Leadership Award, presented by the I Mua Group and Na'A'ahuhiwa at a leadership reception at

the Native Hawaiian Convention. Stenders long list ot leadership roles includes serving as Campbell Estate CE0 and Bishop Estate trustee. The OHA board, in its sendoff, mixed fun, humor and bittersweet tears to mark Stender's 14-year tenure. For the occasion, he donned a tongue-in-cheek eap reading "I love spreadsheets," presented to him by Trustee Peter Apo a day earlier at a committee meeting. Poking fun at his affinity for numbers, he was presented a tabloid-size spreadsheetfor Nō Lama Kukui, an acquisition he led, whieh heeame the agency's first commercial property. "You'll be happy to know that we're helow budget for expenses and above budget again for N0ls (net operating ineome)," OHA C00 Kawika Burgess said teasingly, to laughter and applause. Bedecked in lei, Stender was surrounded by family members, including his wife, Ku'ulei, and daughter, Lei-Ann Durant, who served as his aide. Stender, went home with an armload of farewell gifts: a folded, framed Hawaiian flag; a framed OHA resolution marking his lifetime of achievements; and a framed moek-up of him featured on a fictional cover of Ka Wai Ola. - Phoio: Francine Murray