Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 6, 1 June 2022 — DONNA KALIKO SANTOS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DONNA KALIKO SANTOS

/ Meet the 'OHAna V * OHA STAFF PROFILES *

Beneficiary Service Agent Hui H uliāmahi (Beneficiary Servicesl 25 years at OHA

FROM: Ha'ikū anel Kīpū (ahupua'a), Puna (moku), Kaua'i (mokupuni) EDUCATION: - • Kaua'i High School • Kaua'i Community College

What is your kuleana at OHA? I am currently a Beneficiary Services Agent. I serve as a liaison/conduit for my eommunity to the services and programs that OHA provides - like the Hawaiian Registry Program, Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund and our Grants Program - as well as with other resources in our community that ean help our beneficiaries in their particular situations. I also help OHA to connect with Kaua'i community issues. Why did you choose to work for OHA? I eame to OHA at the request ofCarmen "Boots" Panui who needed help in the Kaua'i office as a temp hire and that turned into afull-time position. What is the best thing about working at OHA? The fun people I work with, ofcourse! I enjoy learningfrom them. What is something interesting for people to know about you? I have worked with every OHA Kaua'i community liaison (although that title has changed throughout the years) and I have worked with every OHA Kaua'i/Ni'ihau trustee since the organization wasformed. Who has been your role model? There are many: Carmen Panui, the Kaua'i community liaisons I've worked with over the years, the OHA trustees representing Kaua'i and Ni'ihau, and all the kūpuna who have poured into me their 'ike, mo'olelo and passion. Tve been paying itforward ever since. What is your best OHA memory? I had been with OHAfor some time and at a community meeting I was attending I realized that the meeting facilitator looked sofamiliar. During the first break I went over to introduce myself- only to realize that it was theformer OHA administrator who actually hired me! We have laughed about that ever since - and now I neverforget herface! ■