Ben Henderson is the new president and executive director of the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center – Photos: Lisa Asato

By Lisa Asato / Ka Wai Ola

Leaving behind a career in government spanning more than three decades, Ben Henderson became the president and executive director of the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center on Feb. 1, and celebrated his 59th birthday the following day.

He has served for seven years on the center's advisory board, including as chair for the past year. His career includes work as a planner and program administrator for the city, a deputy administrator at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and most recently as deputy director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, where he spent the last 17 years.

The Children's Center carries out the mission of the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust, established by the Queen to care for Hawai'i's orphaned and destitute children, with a preference for Hawaiians. The center employs about 150 people and has 10 units on five islands. In 2007, it served more than 10,000 children through direct services and more than 39,000 children through its community-building efforts. Henderson, who fills the position left vacant when Dr. Claire Asam became a trustee of the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust, sat down with KWO to discuss the center's future.

KWO: It may be a little too early to ask, but what are your plans for the center?

BH: First I want to begin to understand how the Children's Center works and the programs that they operate. … I'm interested in seeing what I can do to support the center and the units and provide them with the tools so they can do their job. And at the same time I want to begin to look long-range at not necessarily what we can do differently but do better. And I know the trustees are interested in ways that we can reach more of our beneficiaries statewide.

KWO: Are there any highlights, such as programs, from your past that you'd like to replicate at the center?

BH: One that comes to mind was a collaboration of a number of different organizations, and in my recollection, former Queen Lili'uokalani Trust chairman Monsignor Charles Kekumano was really one of the driving forces behind it. It's Kūlana 'Ōiwi, a multiservice Hawaiian center on Moloka'i that brings all of the services together in one place: Hawaiian Homes, OHA, the Children's Center, Alu Like, Queen Emma Foundation, and Kamehameha Schools has a preschool there. I think that's a wonderful model that maybe we can look at replicating when the opportunity presents itself for all of our organizations.

KWO: The Queen Lili'uokalani Trust is one of four ali'i trusts. How does it compare in size to the largest ali'i trust, Kamehameha Schools?

BH: It's certainly not as large as Kamehameha Schools. I think our revenue base is probably in the order of $30 million a year; whereas Kamehameha is in the billions. But I think the trustees and our asset group have done a good job of managing the trust's lands. It provides opportunities for the center to function more effectively.

KWO: Since it's so early in your tenure, what have your first impressions been of the Children's Center?

BH: They had a welcoming ceremony for me on my first day, and they invited my wife, Nancy, to come. I think we were both quite impressed and amazed at the organization. Just listening to all the unit managers talking about themselves, you could tell they're passionate and committed to what they do here. There is very little turnover here, and I think it's a testament to the work that they do and the organization that they work for.

KWO: Have there been any surprises?

BH: In the last month or so since the announcement of my hiring, at least a half dozen people that I've considered colleagues or good friends for many, many years shared with me that they had a connection to the center in some way. It just confirmed and reinforced that I was coming to a good place and it allows me to continue to serve the Hawaiian community, even though it wasn't an easy decision to leave Hawaiian Homes. There's no question that Hawaiian Homes will always be a part of me.

KWO: Can you tell us a little about your family?

BH: I come from a large family of seven children, grew up on homestead land, married my high school sweetheart. I went to Kamehameha; she went to Kalani. We have two daughters, and I'm probably most proud of the fact that we now have two mo'opuna, two grandsons that are 11 weeks apart. So that's kind of an exciting new chapter in our lives, too. The older one, Jackson Po'okela Nett, turned 1 in December and the younger one, Robert Nesta Crowell, will be 1 in March. They call him Nesta because my son-in-law loves Bob Marley.

KWO: Last question, up until now you've been a deputy and now you're stepping up as the head guy. How do you approach that?

BH: I'm glad you raise that because that's kind of what I'm dealing with now. On one level I think that all of my experience as a deputy in various organizations has prepared me for this, but at the same time being the head, the director, is daunting. All decisions and accountability rests with you. And having said that I'm not too concerned about it; I think you surround yourself with good people, listen to their advice and hopefully you make the right decision. If you make a mistake then hopefully you'll learn from it. I feel very safe here is the best way to put it.

I think the biggest challenge is to figure out where we want to take this organization in the years ahead, and that's not a decision I will make alone. There will be a lot of input into that. What I'm seeing at least administratively is it's a very well organized agency, very professional in how they operate, which makes my job easier. But you're right, being the head is different. But I'm up to
the task.