Kā‘eo Duarte, Community Engagement and Resources Vice President

Community Engagement & Resources is a new group resulting from organizational realignment to execute on SP2020. According to group vice president Kā‘eo Duarte, CE&R is probably the most unique addition to the KS organizational structure, and will facilitate the nexus of KS’ programs, services, lands and resources with the systems and communities KS interacts with and seeks to serve and elevate.

The group will use a systems, portfolio, and community-based approach to design and implement educational and land management strategies that address specific needs in nine regions statewide. The goal is to ensure maximum relevance of KS functions and resources, and to ensure our collective action across the islands is done with well-informed and grounded data, communication, and accountability measures.

WHY was this Group created?

In Kūhanauna, our guiding SP2020 document, trustees outline a vision toward impacting the education and life success of our Lāhui. They note that “to improve the well-being of the Lāhui is a shared responsibility that no one entity can achieve on its own.” Furthermore, “involvement in community will be characterized by proactive engagement for improved outcomes for Native Hawaiians. We will listen to and collaborate with community members and organizations that share our vision to strengthen Native Hawaiian leadership, influence, and economic, physical and emotional well-being. … We will focus primarily on partners, programs, and collective impact approaches that serve our learners.”

We would like KS to be better integrated in regions and community toward more effectiveness. Education, economic, health, natural resource, cultural resource, and other societal systems drive the well-being of communities, families and learners. Conversely, healthy learners and families, are drivers of healthy, sustainable networks, lands and ecosystems.

WHAT is this “regional approach” I keep hearing about?

Vision 2040’s intent to realize a thriving Lāhui is “a shared responsibility that no one entity can achieve on its own.” Therefore, the KS “regional approach or strategy” is an organizational approach or tactic that delivers impact by developing and implementing strategies with and through regions or defined communities. Regions are meant to bring focus to our understanding of community strengths and challenges, build strong relationships, and seek opportunities for collective impact. It is an operational means to a strategic end.

HOW will Regional leaders interact with Education (Campus, Community Education) leaders?

Regional leaders will primarily lead the development of KS‘ strategies for impact in an assigned region or regions. They will “own” a portfolio of education and land asset resources and activities, and be accountable to articulated outcomes. They will have appropriate levels of authority to manage KS investment in the community via community education programs, collaborations and scholarships.

Programmatic (Community Education) and Operational Support leaders will primarily deliver programs, services, and supports in service to regional plans and communities. Education teams will be centers of excellence and have strategies, communication, planning, and execution internally and externally across diverse systems and communities statewide. CE&R, Education, and Strategy and Innovation groups will work together closely across all regions. Roles and responsibilities are expected to evolve and flex with the opportunity or need, underscoring the CEO team’s desire to take down silos and accomplish our goals as a team.

WHAT is being reorganized in CE&R?

As announced by the CEO in November 2014, the CE&R Group currently consists of Regions (West Hawai‘i and Wai‘anae Coast), Land Assets, Resource Centers, and Planning and Sustainability. In addition, the ‘Āina Ulu portion of the ‘Āina-Based Education Division will also be put into CE&R. This combination of functions highlights an important and intentional connection between Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s land legacy and education mission to connect and elevate programs and community.

HOW and WHEN will the reorganization happen?

While many staff-level functions and core responsibilities do not necessarily change, the way the group is organized is new and transformational. Of primary importance, there are regional as well as statewide teams in this structure. This allows us to build island/region leadership and teams to dive deep into specified communities for greater impact, while recognizing that certain functions require statewide consistency, flexibility, and quality control.

Because the CE&R Group reorganization and development of regions involves significant change, it will happen in phases. The reorganization for CE&R, effective July 5, 2015, is reflected in the accompanying functional organization chart. It currently includes two regions — Wai‘anae and West Hawai‘i — as well as the statewide teams. It is not anticipated that we will fully build out all regions by end of this fiscal year. There is a lot of important work to do, and we do not want to rush unnecessarily.

O‘ahu and Hawai‘i island changes will likely be completed this fiscal year, with other regions and functions evolving in year two of SP2020. This chart will be updated over time as the remainder of the planned regions and CE&R functions become operational.

Community Engagement & Resources org chart