Machado Selected as New Chair of OHA Trustees

OHA Collette Machado. 5/15/14. Photo by Wendy Osher.

Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi Trustee Colette Y. Machado was selected as the new chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees today.

Machado succeeds At-Large Trustee Leinaʻala Ahu Isa, Ph.D., who was installed as acting chair during a special board meeting on Feb. 2 after board members ousted At-Large Trustee Rowena Akana from her role as chair.

Machado, who was first elected to the OHA Board in 1996, previously served as OHA chair from December 2010 through November 2014.

“I am grateful that my fellow trustees have given me a second chance to lead them,” Chair Machado said. “My goal is bring stability to the agency and rebuild our hale. We need to work together at the board level and with staff – embrace one and another with aloha so we can move forward for our Lāhui.”

Trustees also filled the remaining board leadership positions during today’s re-organization meeting. Kauaʻi and Niʻihau Trustee Dan Ahuna was named board vice chair.

Maui Trustee Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey will remain chair of the board’s Committee on Resource Management, and At-Large Trustee John D. Waiheʻe IV will serve as the committee’s vice chair.

Hawaiʻi Island Trustee Robert K. Lindsey Jr. was selected to chair the board’s Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment, and Trustee Ahuna was elected as the committee’s vice chair.