Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 11, 1 Nowemapa 2020 — A True Servant Leader [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A True Servant Leader

j LEO ELELE v > TRUSTEE MESSSAGES f

As of Nov. 1, Trustee Robert Lindsey Jr. of Waimea Hawai'i will have two more days left in his illustrious tenure as Hawai'i Island Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee. While we all look forward to working with the newly elected Trustee for Hawai'i Island and hearing what new ideas they may have, it is never easy to see someone so dedicated to not

just his responsibilities as a Trustee, but his commitment to his community, leave,.

Trustee Lindsey, or "Unele Bob" as we all eall him - even at the board room table, was appointed to the Hawai'i Island seat after Trustee Linda Dela Craz passed away in 2007. For the last 13 years he has diligently served the Native Hawaiians of Hawai'i Island and the lāhui. He was a former ranger with the Parks Service, served his community at the State Legislature for one term, then became the land assets manager for Hawai'i Island for Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate; so it is easy to understand the reason that the 2007 Board of Trastees selected Unele Bob. Throughout the years, Unele Bob has served on Habitat for Humanity West Hawai'i, the West Hawai'i Mediation Center, and the Kanu o Ka 'Āina Center 'Ohana. Never shying away from a ehal-

lenge, Unele Bob has served as chairperson for the Board of Trastees, as well as for the Beneficiary, Advocacy, and Empowerment (BAE) and the Resource Management (RM) Committees. Unele Bob's patience is well known throughout the pae 'āina. He will sit and listen, ever mindful that he is not living in that beneficiary's shoes. He always pictures himself or his 'ohana in the plaee of the storyteller and,

with an empathetic heart, then removes himself from the picture and looks at the issue from the nutside to gain better

perspective. I have learned how to use all the resources at my disposal from Unele Bob and watched how he trusts his team and lets them grow as individuals, both professionally and personally. I will miss having Unele Bob's wisdom, patience, perspec- , tive and knowledge on the Permitted Interaction Groups

that we have worked on together over the last two years. We accomplished so mueh over the last two years and still have so mueh more to do. Unele Bob helped us carry the ball into the red zone, and we know he is leaving the held and will watch us carry the ball into the end zone. I am comforted with the knowledge that we ean now eall on him as a resource and not worry about our favorite sunshine law telling us we cannot. Enjoy your retirement Unele Bob! You will be missed at the Board of Trustees table, in the ofhce, and most especially at our kūkākūkā sessions in your ofhce. A hui hou. See you in the eool air up there in Waimea, as soon as we ean all get on a plane again. ■

Brendon Kalei aina Lee Vice Cheir, īrustee, At-largE

Trustee Roberf Lindsey Jr. ■ Photo: Honolulu Star Advertiser Dennis Oda, 2014