Engaging With the Lāhui Through Neighborhood Board Participation

Aloha mai kākou,

As the Pouhana of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), I am grateful for the opportunity to engage directly with our lāhui at the local level. This past August, I had the privilege of representing OHA at the Nānākuli-Māʻili Neighborhood Board meeting. The experience was a powerful reminder of the strength, dedication, and ʻike of our Native Hawaiian community members who are doing the essential work of regional governance across Oʻahu.

The meeting was professionally run, with clear structure and a strong sense of purpose. I was warmly welcomed by the board and by beneficiaries in attendance. The manaʻo shared that evening reflected deep care and intimate knowledge of the needs and challenges facing Native Hawaiians in Nānākuli and Māʻili. I was especially moved by how many Kanaka ʻŌiwi serve on the board and how actively the community engaged, asking questions, advocating for urgent needs, and holding officials accountable. It was a clear expression of grassroots governance in action.

The neighborhood boards on Oʻahu, whether in places like ʻEwa, Nuʻuanu, Makiki, Kuliʻouʻou, Kāneʻohe, or Ala Moana provide a vital civic platform for community voice and local decision-making. These boards meet monthly and serve as a bridge between residents and government agencies. They allow neighborhood concerns to be heard, discussed, and elevated to county or state levels.

OHA has made a concerted effort to participate in neighborhood board meetings across Oʻahu, particularly in communities where large populations of Native Hawaiians reside.

This effort includes the active participation of our trustees, administrative leaders, and members of our advocacy team, all of whom volunteer to represent OHA at these meetings.

Whether in Waimānalo, Kahaluʻu, Waiʻanae, Wahiawā, Kapolei, or Koʻolaupoko, our team ensures that the voices of our beneficiaries are heard and that our agency remains accountable to those we serve.

Our role at these meetings is trifold: to inform, to listen, and to follow up on concerns. Our OHA representatives provide critical updates on programs and services that support the lāhui in education, ʻŌiwi wellbeing, ʻāina momona, housing, and economic resilience.

We also share information about OHA-funded grants and sponsorships that directly benefit the communities we’re visiting. But perhaps most importantly, we show up to listen and to hear directly from our beneficiaries about the issues they face and the solutions they envision.

Alongside OHA’s annual island-wide community meetings, these neighborhood board gatherings offer an ongoing, consistent opportunity for our agency to engage with beneficiaries in a way that is personal, responsive, and rooted in community.

To our community members across Oʻahu: if your neighborhood has a board, we encourage you to attend. Whether you’re in Wahiawā, Hauʻula, Makakilo, Kāneʻohe, or anywhere in between, we want to meet you, share updates, and most of all, listen. Your voice strengthens our work. Together, we can uplift our lāhui.

Me ka haʻahaʻa,
Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira
Ka Pouhana | Chief Executive Officer