Kaialiʻi Kahele was elected trustee for Hawaiʻi Island in 2024 and elected OHA board chair the same year. Trustee Kahele is originally from Miloliʻi in South Kona. He is a graduate of Hilo High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from UH Mānoa while playing on the UH Rainbow Warriors men’s volleyball team. He also has a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Kahele is a combat veteran, pilot, and commissioned officer in the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force. He is also a commercial pilot for Hawaiian Airlines.
In 2016, Gov. David Ige appointed him to the Hawaiʻi State Senate for District 1 following the unexpected passing of his father, the late Sen. Gil Kahele. During his tenure as a state senator, Kahele served as the majority whip, majority floor leader, and chair for the committees on Higher Education and Water and Land. In 2020, he was elected to represent Hawaiʻi’s 2nd Congressional District in Washington, D.C., in the 117th Congress.
For inquiries, please contact Chair Kahele at (808) 594-1855 or via email at TrusteeKahele@oha.org.
To view Chair Kahele’s columns in Ka Wai Ola, click here.