OHA Delays CEO Pick Until After Election
Vendors and partners working with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs should expect leadership decisions to slip into December or later.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in People
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Hawaii's Office of Hawaiian Affairs board has delayed selecting a new chief executive until after the November 3, 2026 General Election, when five of its nine trustees face reelection. The board could take the matter up as early as Dec. 7, with finalists Todd Apo, Summer Silva and Kaulana Park still in consideration.
Why it matters
The delay leaves an agency overseeing close to $1 billion in assets without a permanent chief, while it negotiates military land leases and a Kakaako housing partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. Trustees say they want more time to vet candidates and their backgrounds, and newly elected members will have a voice in the hire.
The board previously voted five-to-four for Todd Apo over Interim CEO Summer Silva, and five of the nine trustees face the November 3, 2026 General Election. The agency holds close to $1 billion in assets, and the earliest next board meeting that could take up the selection is Dec. 7.
The players
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)
A Hawaii state agency that manages roughly $1 billion in assets and funds programs benefiting Native Hawaiians through land, housing and investment decisions.
Todd Apo
A former Maui County councilmember and a finalist for OHA chief executive, backed by a prior five-to-four board vote.
Summer Silva
OHA's interim chief executive and a finalist for the permanent post, who lost an earlier five-to-four board vote to Todd Apo.
Kai Kahele
OHA board chair who made the decision to delay the chief executive selection.
Kaulana Park
A finalist still in consideration for OHA chief executive, according to the board's remaining candidate pool.
The details
Board Chair Kai Kahele made the call to postpone the CEO selection at the last minute, deferring the vote until the board can reconvene. Trustees said they need additional time to examine candidates and their backgrounds before a final decision. The deferral also lets newly elected trustees take part in choosing the next chief executive, meaning the composition of the board after the election will shape the outcome.
Timeline
Monday: Trustees voted to release redacted documents tied to a pending lawsuit by the former CEO.
November 3, 2026: General Election, after which CEO selection is delayed.
Dec. 7, 2026: Earliest date the board could take up the CEO selection.
Market Landscape
The unresolved CEO search follows the five-to-four board split that favored Todd Apo over Summer Silva, showing the same faction divide still shaping the agency. OHA's search now runs alongside pending military land-lease negotiations and a Kakaako housing partnership, both of which depend on stable leadership.
Businesses that contract with OHA or pursue its land and housing partnerships should expect the timeline for leadership decisions to run into 2027 and plan accordingly. Vendors and partners should track the post-election board composition, since newly elected trustees will influence the final hire and any changes in priorities.
The takeaway
Watch the board's post-election composition and its first meeting after Dec. 7, since the new trustees will shape both the CEO hire and OHA's pending land and housing deals. Calendar the Dec. 7 meeting and ask partners to confirm whether their agreements depend on who ultimately leads the agency.
What happens next
The board could take up the CEO selection as early as Dec. 7, 2026, when its next meeting is scheduled, with finalists Todd Apo, Summer Silva and Kaulana Park still in consideration.
Further reading
Follow more leadership and governance coverage in the People section for context on executive searches like this one.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KHON2.
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