Hawaii's largest Native Hawaiian trust is holding off on naming its next CEO, a move that gives voters more say in who ultimately makes the call.

• The Office of Hawaiian Affairs board had already picked former councilmember Tuulike Poll over interim CEO Summer Sylva in a close vote, but trustees pushed pause before finalizing it.
• The delay matters because 5 of the 9 trustees face re-election, so new trustees could end up deciding who leads the agency instead of the outgoing board.
• The stakes are high: OHA controls close to $1 billion in assets and is in the middle of major deals, including a housing partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and ongoing military land lease negotiations.
• A pending lawsuit involving a former CEO adds more pressure, and trustees separately voted to release redacted documents tied to that case.

Outlook: The board could revisit the CEO decision as soon as its next meeting in early December, with the three finalists still in the running depending on which trustees are seated after the election.