Court names Kalama new KS trustee
The banker will fill out Lau's term at Kamehameha
The state Probate Court picked First Hawaiian Bank Executive Vice President Corbett A.K. Kalama yesterday to fill out the remaining term of outgoing Kamehameha Schools Trustee Constance Lau.
On April 1, Kalama will join Robert Kihune, Diane Plotts, Nainoa Thompson and new Chairman J. Douglas Ing on the five-member board.
Ing shared the news in a written statement sent to trust employees yesterday.
"We look forward to the benefit of Corbett's thoughts, talents and experience in all aspects of fulfilling Pauahi's wishes through her trust," the statement said. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, great-granddaughter and last royal descendent of Kamehameha I, established the trust for the schools in her will.
Kalama's selection was also welcome news to Adrian Kamalii, president of Na Pua A Ke Alii Pauahi, a nonprofit group whose members include alumni, parents, students and faculty of Kamehameha Schools.
"We're happy to see someone chosen who is culturally grounded. He's been very active in the revitalization of canoe paddling -- he's active with the Polynesian Voyaging Society -- his upbringing was very cultural and his contemporaries are now cultural practitioners," he said.
What made Kalama's selection even more attractive is his business experience, Kamalii said.
Probate Judge Colleen Hirai selected Kalama, 50, from a list of three finalists recommended by a court-appointed trustee-screening committee. The other finalists were local attorneys Allen K. Hoe and former city Budget Director Ivan M. Lui-Kwan.
Kalama has been with First Hawaiian since 1982 and is also the bank's manager of the Oahu region office, and the personal banking and small-business banking segment manager.
He serves as a board member on several public and private organizations including the Samoan Service Providers Association and the John A. Burns School of Medicine Imi Hoola Advisory Board. He was chairman of the community working group that provided input to U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka on his bill for federal recognition of native Hawaiians.
The search for a new trustee started after Lau announced her intention to step down last February when she was named chief executive officer and president of Hawaiian Electric Industries. Her term as Kamehameha Schools trustee expires June 30, 2008.
