Q. How would you describe the mission of the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce?

A. Our mission statement was reborn a couple of years back with the concerted efforts of Kaulana Park, Momi Cazimero and myself. The NHCC mission as developed is to strenghten Native Hawaiian businesses and professions by building on the foundations of relationships, resources and Hawaiian values. Specifically, aloha, malama, ho'okipa, laulima, imi'ke, lokomaika'i, pono, ho'omau, ha'aha'a and lokahi.

Q. Does the NHCC get involved with broader issues affecting Native Hawaiians, such as the Akaka bill?

A. Yes, we support the Akaka bill and our position is stated on our Website http://www.nativehawaiian.cc/. We aligned ourselves with other entities supporting the bill. Kamehameha Schools also asked us for support in terms of challenging the recent appeals court ruling on their admissions policy.

Q. How close is the NHCC toward reaching its membership target of 300 and achieving formal status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization?

A. We are about halfway to our membership goal, thanks in bunches to Kaulana Park and Dirk Soma, who worked tirelessly. As for our status, Robert Piper and Bruss Keppeler are in the formal stages of the legal work. We thought 501 status was appropriate as we became a larger money-generating machine for different Native Hawaiian projects. It means we have increased accountability, but our books are already pretty pristine.

Q. How do the O'o Awards fit in with the NHCC's mission?

A. The O'o award is presented each year to the individual who best represents the cornerstones of our chamber's belief system. The O'o is a symbol of recognition for Hawaiian business professionals whose skillful use of their talents results in sucess in business. The award represents men and women with creativity, motivation, industry and skill — all key ingredients for survival and success in ancient and modern Hawaii.

Q. What other changes are being contemplated as the organization grows and matures?

A. Right now our board and officers are all volunteers. But we're considering hiring a full-time executive director for the first time. The thinking was that we sometimes need a person to represent us in all the functions we need to be involved in, including our dealings with government. We thought it would be a good idea for the Chamber to have more of a face in public.

Q. Do you have to be a Native Hawaiian to join the Chamber?

A. Anyone can join. Our membership is about 96 percent Native Hawaiian, but anyone who wants to join and believes in our mission is welcome to join.

Q. What experiences prepared you for your position as executive vice president of the Fun Factory Inc?

A. I started out as a technician for Hawaiian Telephone in the 1960s. Then I got a job at United Airlines as a flight attendent, and ended up in management. They sent me to management training where I learned a lot of my people skills. My technical background from Hawaiian Tel and management skills from United were a perfect fit for the Fun Factory.

Q. You mentioned that Linda Fernandez at Fun Factory Inc. had a big impact on your career. What did you learn from her?

A. She was quite a motivator. She motivates me to be the very best that I can be. In the overall scheme of things she has a sense of what people want and how they want it. She's akamai not only about making money, but understanding what people need.

Q. Do the two of you have similar leadership styles?

A. We have different styles, but the substance is identical. I have the same feeling for the company that she does. One of the chief ingredients is learning to get along with people, even though you might not necessarily agree with them. If you can get to the point where you both see the same thing, then you you can go in the same direction.