What's Being Discussed

This is a joint meeting of two Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) committees — Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment (BAE) and Budget and Finance (BF) — held remotely on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

• CEO/Administrator finalists review: The main topic is a deeper look at the candidates being considered for OHA's permanent top leadership position. Committee members will review professional references, writing samples, leadership assessments, and feedback gathered from beneficiaries, community members, and stakeholders.
• Approval of past meeting minutes: The committees will approve notes from their September 30, 2026 public meeting, as well as minutes from several closed (executive) sessions held in September.

Decisions Expected

• A vote to approve the minutes from the September 30, 2026 committee meeting.
• Approval of executive session minutes from four closed meetings held on September 9, 16, 21, and 22, 2026.
• The discussion of CEO finalists may help shape a future hiring recommendation, though a final hiring decision is not listed as an action item at this meeting.

Who Should Pay Attention

• Native Hawaiian beneficiaries of OHA, as the permanent CEO will lead the organization that manages resources and programs on their behalf.
• Community members and stakeholders who previously submitted feedback on the CEO candidates.
• Anyone interested in OHA's leadership and governance.

The public may attend in person at 560 N. Nimitz Hwy., Suite 200, Honolulu, or watch the livestream at www.oha.org/livestream. Oral testimony is limited to five minutes.