Office of Hawaiian Affairs CEO Stacy Ferreira has been placed on paid administrative leave.
The OHA Board of Trustees approved her leave on Tuesday. A press release described it as "the need for personal leave by the current CEO."
Ferreira was picked to lead the semi-autonomous state agency about two years ago. She was previously the budget chief for the Hawaiʻi Senate Ways and Means Committee.
The trustees appointed Board of Trustees Chief of Staff Summer Sylva as the interim CEO — which the board is referring to as "interim administrator" — of OHA. Sylva was previously the executive director at the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. She started in the role on Tuesday, and the arrangement will be in effect until further notice.
“The Board has full confidence in Summer’s ability in this interim role to lead with integrity, maintain organizational stability, and foster strong relationships with staff, partners, and the community,” Trustee Brickwood Galuteria said in a statement.
OHA is governed by an elected, nine-member Board of Trustees. Trustees serve four-year terms and set organizational policy. Its current chair, Kai Kahele, was elected in 2024.
The Board of Trustees then picks an administrator, which OHA refers to as CEO or Ka Pouhana, to oversee staff.
