Ikaika Anderson welcomed to OHA as trustees prepare to select new CEO

Nov 09, 2026

Hawaii's Office of Hawaiian Affairs welcomed its newest trustee, Ikaika Anderson, as the board heads toward picking a new chief executive.

  • Ikaika Anderson, a former Honolulu City Council member, was elected to the OHA board's statewide at-large seat and was greeted with a traditional Hawaiian welcome ceremony.
  • He said he's grateful for the chance to serve Native Hawaiians and work toward the betterment of all of Hawaii's people.
  • The board's first meetings under its new makeup are set for early December, and trustees are expected to pick a new CEO from three candidates around that time.
  • Anderson said he'll meet with the search firm this week to question the candidates before making a decision, and he'll also go through an onboarding process to get up to speed.

Outlook: Expect the CEO selection to firm up following the December board meetings, with Anderson settling into his new role in the coming weeks.

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