OUR

MISSION

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) is a member-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to enhance the cultural, economic, political, and community development of Native Hawaiians. CNHA is a national network of Native Hawaiian organizations and a strong voice on public policy. CNHA operates a loan fund, delivers capacity building services, fosters leadership development and has convened the Annual Native Hawaiian Convention for 17 consecutive years.

Headquartered in Kapolei, CNHA is a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the US Treasury department and a HUD-Certified Housing Counseling agency. We provide access to capital, financial education and individualized financial counseling services with a focus on low and moderate-income families. CNHA serves as a National Intermediary, providing grants and loans targeting underserved communities in Hawaii.

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Census Grant Program Now Accepting Proposals

Convention Registration
Now Open!

Team Registration
Now Open!

 

Hawaiian Trades Academy

Learn more!

ADMINISTRATION

Chief Executive Officer
Joe Kuhio Lewis

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Lewis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement,  responsible for the execution of the organizations 6 program areas. He previously served as the  Community Outreach and Engagement Manager at the Office of Hawaiian  Affairs,  responsible  for advancing the organization’s civic engagement initiatives with oversight of a $2.3 million  program budget and 21 staff statewide. Kuhio is a beneficiary of the Hawaiian Homes  Commission Act and past President of the Kapolei Community Development Corporation  (KCDC) where he helped raise over $2 million to support a regional community development  project  –  the Kapolei Heritage Center.  During his tenure, KCDC also brokered one of the largest community  benefit agreements totaling over $30 million.  Kūhiō has also served as  the  President for the King Kamehameha Hawaiian Civic Club.

Chief Financial Officer
Daniel Lee “Kaniela” Sharp

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Known to many as Kaniela, Daniel moved to O’ahu from Southern California in 2007. With more than 26 years of experience in organizational and financial management and training, he is currently fulfilling one of his life’s passions in serving the Native Hawaiian people in his capacity as Chief Financial Officer for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

He earned a BS from Texas A&M before being commissioned in the US Marine Corps. As a Captain he served for 10 yrs as an Air Traffic Control Officer where he managed the ATC Facility at MCAS El Toro in Southern California.

Following his time in the armed forces he served for 15 years as the CFO and Operations Manager for an international religious organization.  In 2007 Daniel moved to Oahu where he worked as the Assistant Controller for an international government contractor for the U.S. Defense Department and later the Operations and Fiscal Manager for Hawaii Maoli.  In 2011, Kaniela joined Keiki O Ka Aina as its Controller and Preschool Administrator. He served as the Director of Finance and eCommerce Manager for Hawaii Health Connector in 2014 and later rejoined Keiki O Ka Aina as its Director of Finance until 2016.

In 2016 he started Sharp Business Solutions where he provides executive level financial and business administrative services to small business owners and non-profit organizations.

He is currently engaged to the love of his life the lovely Johnette Kim of Kalihi.

Program Manager
Rona Kekauoha

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Rona is the daughter of Arleen “Puanani” (Chong) Lum Lee and the late Bernard “Bernie” Ching. She grew up in Kaimuki and is the second oldest of four daughters. She graduated from ‘Iolani School and the University of Washington. Rona has spent most of her adult life working with students in higher education and has a passion for helping Native Hawaiians. Having spent over 25 years working with traditional and non-traditional college students, Rona knows first-hand that pursuing a post-baccalaureate degree is not for everyone and is excited to be a Program Manager for CNHA’s trades academy. She was previously employed with Kapiolani Community College, Hawaii Community Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, Native Hawaiian Leadership Project, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Rona spends her spare time coaching volleyball for Maunalani Volleyball Club but her most prized role is that of mother to four wonderful children. 

Program Manager
Kanoe Tjorvatjoglou-Cup Choy

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Kanoe Tjorvatjoglou-Cup Choy is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and holds a Bachelor  of  Arts in Global Affairs with a double minor in Business and Conflict Analysis &  Resolution  from  George Mason University.  Her career in civic engagement began while working with Crossroads  Campaigns Solutions, specializing in field organizing, staff  recruiting  and  mobilizing  community. She worked on numerous political and issue-based campaigns across the U.S. and continues that work here in Hawaii.  As a 5th generation Nānākuli homesteader, Kanoe is particularly passionate about increasing capacity and civic engagement within the Native Hawaiian community and worked as a Community Outreach Advocate for OHA.  Her engagement with community extends to her personal capacities as a member of the Pearl Harbor HCC and as Secretary of the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.

Policy Manager
Colin Kippen

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Colin Kippen is an attorney who has served as a judge for Indian tribes in the Pacific Northwest, as the director of Hawaiian Rights at OHA, as Senior Counsel to the US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, as a presidential appointee, member and chair of the Native American Graves Protection And Repatriation Act Advisory Committee, as a presidential appointee and member of the President’s Commission on Scholars, as a board member of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, as the ED of the Native Hawaiian Education Council, as the ED of the National Indian Education Association, and as volunteer who assisted in drafting a Native Hawaiian constitution. 

Program Manager
Makalapua Casson-Fisher

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Maka is a kupa of Waialua moku.  He is a Native Hawaiian leader, educator, cultural practitioner and community member of Oʻahu’s north shore.  In his role Maka will kākoʻo the progression of the Council Of Native Hawaiian Advancement, its programs and the overall holo mua of our kanaka ʻōiwi.  His goals are to maintain successful partnerships, responsible advocacy and strong support for the projects that impact the great works of our lāhui.  Maka comes to us from the Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama Campus where he taught ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at the high school and supported the development of a Hawaiian language program for all students at the middle school.  His passion for community organizing and civic engagement began when he was selected to intern as the late Senator Akaka’s Senate Page in Washington D.C.  Maka belongs to several professional associations, dedicates much of his time and energy to aloha ʻāina with his ʻohana and is the current president of the Waialua Hawaiian Civic Club.  Maka holds degrees in the fields of Cultural Anthropology, Hawaiian Language & Culture and is working towards his Masters in Educational Leadership.  E Ola Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi! 

Accountant
Jonette Buza-King

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Jonette Buza-King is the accountant for CNHA and also assists the CFO and loan fund program with financial expertise.

Prior to joining CNHA, Jonette worked for Ōlelo Community Media for over 13 years. She worked her way up the organization starting as an Accounting Specialist where she was responsible for effectively managing multiple client accounts. She was then promoted to Media Coordinator and eventually Media Services Manager where she led production operations at ʻŌlelo’s studio in Wahiawa. This managerial role allowed Jonette to engage directly with the community and refine her leadership abilities, guiding and mentoring staff and volunteers to complete projects with various goals and objectives.

Jonette is a long-time resident of Wahiawa and has extensive community experience. She is a current member of ALEA Bridge/Wahiawa Homeless Alliance; current member of the Wahiawa Hawaiian Civic Club; current member of Wahiawa Fresh; former President of the Wahiawa Center for Community Health; former President of the Wahiawa Bobby Sox Softball; and former Vice President of the Wahiawa Lions Club.

Jonette was born and raised in the Kekaha and Waimea communities on the island of Kauaʻi. In her spare time, you will find Jonette relaxing on the beach and spending time with her family, especially her two children, Kainoa and Jazmyn.

Loan Fund Specialist
Angie Aipoalani

 

Program Manager
Richard Medeiros

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Richard Medeiros is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Willamette University. Richard previously worked for the Pacific American Foundation as Deputy Project Director of the Ka Wai Ola O Waianae program, as well as Project Director of the AIM for Youth Hawaiʻi Civic Engagement project where he engaged youth and young adults in civic engagement through a partnership between the Pacific American Foundation, CNHA and the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs. Richard resides in Nānākuli and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Mohala I Ka Wai.  Richard also is active in the Nānākuli-Maʻili Neighborhood Board on which he currently serves at Vice Chair.

Executive Assistant
Kaloku Kahalepo

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Kaloku Kahalepo is the Executive Assistant of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. She was born in Hawaiʻi but raised mainly in the 9th Island we call Las Vegas, Nevada. She came back to Hawaiʻi six years ago and for the past five years she helped serve the mission of Prince Kūhiō working in the Land Management Division at Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Not only does she live with family in Kapolei homestead, but she also helps to volunteer in the community for various activities throughout the year. With her background and knowledge, she came to us to help continue to enhance the culture, economic, political, and community development of Native Hawaiians.

Communications & Web Specialist
Pōhaikealoha Panoke

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Pōhai is the Marketing and Communications Specialist of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools and Shidler College of Business, Pōhai has been serving the local community as a consultant specializing in Native Hawaiian small businesses and as an IT tech working with some of Oahu’s Native Hawaiian-focused public charter schools. Pōhai is also a lua practitioner, enjoys volunteering with local agriculture organizations such as Papahana Kuaʻola and regularly attends cultural workshops to stay immersed in our native arts and language. As a “woman in tech,” Pōhai now coordinates CNHA’s web and communications needs to bring the organization innovative and effective ways to engage with Hawaiʻi’s community.

Communications & Digital Media Intern
Raytan Vares

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Raytan Vares is from Honoulu, Hawaiʻi. He previously worked as a staffer for two Hawaiʻi state lawmakers, Representative John Mizuno and Senator Brickwood Galuteria. Prior to this he worked as a Project Coordinator for Pelatron Power Evolution, a Hawaiʻi-based small business focused on developing waste-to-energy power plants in the Pacific region. Raytan currently volunteers as a board member of the McCully-Mōʻiliʻili Neighborhood Board and with the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi. He holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. In his spare time, Raytan enjoys spending time with his family, reading, exercising, and cruising the island on his Harley Davidson motorcycle.
ʻAʻOHE HANA NUI KE ALU ʻIA

NO TASK IS TOO BIG WHEN DONE TOGETHER

MEMBERSHIP

CNHA is member-based nonprofit with a statewide and national network of community-based organizations. We provide a strong voice on public policy, operate a community loan fund, deliver capacity building services and leadership development and promote community based economic development. CNHA focuses on connecting our network to affect positive change in the Hawaiian community and across the state. Our members represent many sectors in community, including, but not limited to, education, small business, homestead associations, civic clubs, health, housing, art, youth programming, and social services.

Benefits of being a member:

  • Scholarship or discounted rates to attend the Annual Native Hawaiian Convention.

  • Access to Hawaiian Way Fund donor services.

  • Opportunity to share your work, events, stories through CNHA’s distribution of Native News Clips.

  • Notifications and participation in federal, state or local policy projects important to your organization.

  • Discounted fees to any CNHA training or capacity building events.

  • Website presence through the CNHA Members Page.

  • Usage of CNHA office space

Become A Member
ʻAʻOHE ʻULU E LOAʻA I KA PŌKOLE O KA LOU

NO BREADFRUIT CAN BE REACHED WHEN THE PICKING STICK IS TOO SHORT

There is no success without preparation

NATIVE HAWAIIAN CONVENTION

CNHA has coordinated the Annual Native Hawaiian Convention every consecutive year since its founding in 2001.

The Annual Native Hawaiian Convention is a unique venue that encourages and promotes collaboration among community leaders, cultural practitioners, policy advocates, business owners and agency officials, to further the well-being of Hawai‘i’s Native community.

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E LAWE I KE AʻO A MĀLAMA A E ʻOI MAU KA NAʻAUAO

TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND APPLY IT AND YOUR WISDOM WILL INCREASE

It is a reminder to us that when we learn and gain ‘ike, we have a kuleana, a responsibility to apply, to use it, to share it with others

CONTACT US

Mailing Address:
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
91-1270 Kinoiki St., Building 1
Kapolei, HI 96707

Telephone: (808) 596-8155
Toll-Free: (800) 709-CNHA (2642)
Fax: (808) 596-8156

Got a question?

Send us your question/thought here or via email to info@hawaiiancouncil.org