MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION ON THE 13TH FESTIVAL OF
PACIFIC ARTS & CULTURE (FestPAC) MEETINGMONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 AT 2:30 PM
VIA VIRTUAL APPLICATION ZOOM: VIDEO / AUDIO CONFERENCE
Commissioners Present:
Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā, Chair
Maenette Ah Nee-Benham
Jarrett Keohokālole
Jamie Lum-Richard Onishi
Makanani Salā
Māpuana de Silva-Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) Designee
Governor’s Designee
Senate President’s Designee
Department of Business, Economic Developmentand Tourism (DBEDT)House Speaker’s Designee
City and County of Honolulu Designee
Community Member At-Large

Maka Casson-Fisher
Kealiʻi Haverly
Dede Howa
Lynn Martin Graton
Kordell Kekoa
Ngahiraka Mason
Aaron SalāMālia Sanders
Kēhaulani PuʻuMargot Vitarelli-Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority
Public Member
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority
Public Member
Public Member
Public Member
Festival Director
Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
City Department of Parks & Recreation
Public Member

Margaret Ahn
Timothy Tiu
Scott Tome-Deputy Attorney General
DBEDT
DBEDT-Community Member At-Large
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)

Guests:Staff:

Apologies:
Snowbird Bento
Sylvia Hussey

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, November 22, 2021, at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 2 of 4

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chair Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā at 2:31 p.m., who welcomed
everyone present via ZOOM and Facebook Live.
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā’s opening remarks were addressed to Commissioners where he expressed his
thanks to members for their service to the Commission as well as for the sacrifices that they havemade in that capacity. Warmest mahalo (gratitude) to all.
Chair conducted roll call of Commissioners present: Chair, Vice-Chair Salā, Ms. Ah NeeBenham, Mr. Keohokālole, Ms. Lum, Ms. de Silva, Mr. Onishi.
Chair invited Ms. Lum to introduce Kahu Kordell Kekoa for today’s wehena (opening).
Ms. Lum shared that in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, we should give thanks every day.
She continued by expressing that we can reflect upon obvious blessings or challenges that may
be placed in our lives, but that we can be thankful in all circumstances. With those thoughts inmind, she invited Kahu Kordell Kekoa to bring us our wehena today.
Kahu Kordell expressed that given the events of this week, he would like to begin with the spiritof mahalo. Mahalo to the people who have given us and perpetuated our Hawaiian culture, whohave lived it more than just talked about it. Kahu shared that he saw his parents as living
examples of the connection to aloha (a foundational value of the Hawaiian culture). His mother(Caucasian) and father (Hawaiian) instilled values in him which he still carries today. He is soproud to have been nurturned in a family of strong Hawaiian values. His mother believed thatKamehameha Schools taught what it meant to be Hawaiian, and this was where Kahu went toschool. During his mom’s later years, she continued to share aloha which is a word that
expresses the values that she and his father proudly lived and shared with their children.
Kahu Kordell expressed that as the planning and implementation of FestPAC continues, hebelieves it will be an opportunity to work with Oceania and elevating peoples’, culture and faith.
Kahu asked members to think about individuals who have exemplified what it is to be Hawaiianand asked how we could regenerate the lāhui (nation) with aloha, mahalo, ʻohana (family) andKe Akua (a reference to God; Christian terminology). He continued with a pule (prayer) toexpress good wishes for a prosperous hālāwai (meeting) and wonderful Thanksgiving.
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā expressed his mahalo to Kahu Kordell on behalf of the Commission.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā invited members of the public to testify on the agenda items. Hearing none, heproceeded with the rest of the agenda items.
APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 8, 2021 MEETING MINUTES
The minutes were distributed and reviewed by Commissioners. Chair asked if there were any
comments or changes to the minutes. Hearing none, he asked for a motion to be made and it wasmade by Ms. Ah Nee-Benham and seconded by Ms. de Silva. A roll call vote was requested

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, November 22, 2021, at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 3 of 4

with the following Commissioners approving the motion to approve the minutes of November 8,2021: Chair Ka‘anā‘anā, Vice-Chair Salā, Mr. Onishi, Ms. de Silva, Ms. Lum, Ms. Ah NeeBenham, Mr. Keohokālole.
Motion was unanimously approved.
REPORT ON PERMITTED INTERACTIONS, PURSUANT TO ACT 103, SESSIONLAWS OF HAWAIʻI 2021
Chair reported that there were no Permitted Interaction Group meetings held between the lastCommission meeting and today’s meeting. The Venues Committee did not meet since the lastCommission meeting.
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR REPORT & UPDATE
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā introduced and welcomed the newly appointed Festival Director (FD), Mr.
Aaron Salā who thanked the Commission and reported that as more planning details evolve, hehopes to prepare a written report for members. He continued by reporting that since he started inhis role as FD, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) venue discussions are moving
forward. UHM will be discussing the FestPAC request during an executive meeting scheduledfor Monday, November 29, 2021. Mr. Salā also asked that in thinking about the main Festival
Village, he wondered whether Commissioners had suggestions of other possible satellite venues.
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā recommended that the Venues Committee meet to discuss the option ofsatellite venues. Mr. Salā will be following-up with the Venues Committee about this matter.
Mr. Salā continued his report by sharing that he is reviewing collaterals that were developed
previously related to fundraising tiers. He has met with potential funding sources as well as
possible fundraising event hosts. Once the details of the 2024 FestPAC are confirmed, he willproceed with fundraising strategies and activities. Mr. Salā commented that he also would like toreach out to each Commissioner to understand their vision and thoughts regarding FestPAC. He
would like to have a sense of what individual Commissioners are hoping to collectively achieve
related to the entire festival.
Chair commented that he will forward to the FD, a financial summary which Ms. Lum hadprovided previously to the Commission. He added that Stanford Carr was the only donor who
allowed the Commission to keep the donation. Chair also will send an advisory opinion
provided by the Ethics Commission related to Commissioners’ role in fundraising activities. Ms.
de Silva requested that the advisory opinion be sent to Commissioners, too. Chair indicated that
he would ask staff to resend the advisory opinion again.
Ms. Ah Nee-Benham mentioned that the Administrative Committee will be discussing the hiringof a Fund Developer at a future meeting. Mr. Onishi posed a question regarding how the Fund
Developer’s position will be related to the FD’s efforts and whether the FD will have a say inselecting the Fund Developer, too. He would like the Administrative Committee to address thismatter to ensure that the FD feels comfortable working with the Fund Developer. Ms. Ah NeeBenham confirmed that the FD will be part of the conversation in defining the Fund Developer’s

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, November 22, 2021, at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 4 of 4position and will have an integral role in this process going forward. The FD commented that hisposition also requires fundraising.
Chair thanked Mr. Salā for the update and looks forward to receiving written reports in thefuture.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā invited the public to again offer comments.
Mr. Haverly, representing the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), shared his aloha withCommissioners and offered the PCC’s assistance with visiting delegations during FestPAC. He
encouraged the Commission to keep the PCC in mind and let him know if the Commission needs
assistance.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
No announcements were made during this meeting.
NEXT MEETING – DECEMBER 6, 2021
The next FestPAC Commission meeting is confirmed for Monday, December 6, 2021 at 2:30pm.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā adjourned meeting at 2:50 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,Kalani Ka‘anā‘anāChair

11/23/2021
Date