Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2020 — PALACAT-NELSEN, Shane [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PALACAT-NELSEN, Shane

Nonpartisan Special AGE: 50 © Community ūutreach Advocate © shaneforoha@gmail.com ® www.shaneforoha.com

1. The top three issues Native Hawaiians face are eeonomie resilience, ,, self-governance, and sustaining resources that support our community. i We need to rebuild a , new, sustainable, and I resilient economy, so we ean focus less on

surviving and strive for self-governance. And when we are self-determining, we ean grow and sustain the resources we need for our community. Ola kānaka, ola Hawai'i. Hawaiians thrive, Hawai'i will thrive. 2. OHA's boardroom needs leaders with skills who halanee the needs of both our culture and economy, assert our rights as we navigate this "new normal," and restore the pilina between the beneficiaries and the trust's decision-makers. Decades of doing community work, 15 years in tourism, and nearly eight years at OHA will help do this. I commit to applying my knowledge of key issues across Hawai'i, facilitate difficult discussions on complex matters, effective grassroots advocacy strategies, strategic thinking and execution, and team- and relationship-building to the board. 3. The future of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunkea is uncertain. The immediate term, continue to dialogue and engage with the University of Hawai'i, the State, and the County of Hawai'i. Long term, OHA ean advocate to broaden project development and approval processes to include community in the iniīial planning phases to address concerns early on, bridging decision-makers and community engagement in good faith, we ean work toward maintaining cultural and environmental integrity, mitigating negative impacts, and realizing benefits for all.