William Aila Jr.
From dKosopedia
William Aila, Jr. (Born on March 6, 1958, Honolulu), is presently interim director of the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources in the Abercrombie administration. Aila was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor of Hawaii in the 2006 elections.
Aila was born and raised in Wai‘anae, Oahu. Aila graduated from Wai'anae High School in 1976. Aila recieved his bachelor of science in tropical agriculture from the University of Hawai'i in 1980. Aila has been Wai‘anae’s harbor master for nearly two decades.
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Environmentalism and hawaiian cultural beliefs
In a Honolulu Advertiser newspaper article on September 11, 2006, Kevin Dayton reported on Aila's environmental activism and participation in Hawaiian culture:
- Aila, 48, said his environmentalism and his Hawaiian cultural beliefs are intertwined and inseparable, and those beliefs first led him into political action two decades ago. This year, he is venturing into elective politics by seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.
- Raised on the Wai'anae Coast, Aila lives on an agricultural lot on Hawaiian Home Lands at Lualualei, where he grows mango, mountain apple and other fruit. He presents himself as the working-class candidate with common-sense solutions to Hawai'i's nagging, reoccurring problems.
- "I get involved," he said. "I see problems that need to be fixed, and we jump in and we try to fix it."
- Aila was active in the late 1980s in efforts to regulate longline fishing, and lobbied against shark finning and a proposal to privatize the state's small boat harbors.
- He opposes basing the Stryker Brigade in Hawai'i because he contends the environmental reviews weren't done properly. He questions the impacts of military activities at Makua as a member of Hui Malama O Makua, a group that believes the valley is sacred, and is dedicated to protecting it.
- The federal contempt ruling was late last year in connection with yet another issue. Aila is one of four board members of Hui Malama I Na Kupuna 'O Hawai'i Nei who were held in contempt on the same day that Judge David Ezra jailed Edward Halealoha Ayau, executive director of Hui Malama.
- Ezra's rule came in a dispute over 83 priceless cultural artifacts that Hui Malama borrowed from Bishop Museum and never returned.
- Hui Malama officials have said the items were buried in caves on the Kohala side of the Big Island and refused a court order to return the objects. They maintain that providing specifics would violate their Native Hawaiian religious beliefs. [1]
Service on boards and commissions
Aila has served on the following boards and commissions:
- Hawai‘i Community Development Authority
- Wai‘anae Coast Weed and Seed Steering Committee
- Makaha Elementary School Community Management Board
- Wai‘anae Coast Neighborhood Board
- Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center Board
- Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Council
Personal
Aila is married to Melva Napua Kailikea and has two sons, Kekoa Aila, 31, and Kainoa Aila, 18. He has two grandchildren.
External links
- Kubota, Gary T. Activist Aila takes new role as insider, Star-Advertiser, January 17, 2011.
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