Tasha Kama: August 14, 1952–October 26, 2025
“Served with Grace and Kindness”
Alfredo G. Evangelista | Assistant Editor
Faithful. Determined. Thoughtful. Fair. Leader. Dedicated.
These are the words Maui residents would use to describe Natalie “Tasha” Kama when they learned of her passing on October 26, 2025.
Tasha, the current Council Presiding Officer Pro Tempore, was born on August 14, 1952 at Tripler Army Medical Center and moved to Maui in 1983. The daughter of Rev. Clarence and Ruth Kamai, Tasha and her late husband David had eleven children, thirty-one grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Tasha herself would serve as an Assistant Pastor and then Senior Pastor of the Christian Ministry Church. Later, she would serve as a social justice organizer with Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE) Maui.
“[Tasha] was a special kind of lady. She had a very hard life. I mean, you think of a hardlife, she walked it. But it’s because of those life experiences she brought to the [Maui County] Council, that she had the empathy for people who had less than most,” said former Maui Mayor James “Kimo” Apana. “Her style was I going help these people but not from taking from others. I just going help everyone I can with special emphasis on the very, very needy or people who had a hardtime like the life she had. She felt that she could make lives better for all, even the forgotten ones. I think that’s what made her special, and why people always said, ‘Go for it, girl!’ ”
Tasha’s initial attempts at elective office were not successful—running against then Speaker Joe Souki. But in 2018, Tasha ran for the County County (Kahului residency) and won. She was re-elected in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
On the Council, Tasha served as Chair of the Affordable housing Committee, the Human Concerns and Parks Committee and the Housing and Land Use Committee.
When Tasha was initially elected, she was part of the ‘Ohana coalition. She later switched sides and it was reported that Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura played a large part. Sugimura’s office was next to Tasha’s. “Tasha had a heart for the community, and her family, her religion and helping people. I think her big thing was helping the community,” said Sugimura. “She spoke up for those who could not be at the table, right? The disabled, the kūpuna, and the keiki. But mostly her thing is helping the native Hawaiian, I used to think she belongs to be in the Senate or the State with all the things she did. It was huge.”
Tasha’s faith was at the forefront of everything—even during campaigns. “She was serving her Lord, her God. You know, I was her campaign treasurer the first time she ran for council. Our campaign meetings weekly started with a half an hour of prayer,” said Joyce Afalla, her long-time friend. “At every campaign strategy meeting, everything. We prayed for her opponents. We prayed for voters. We prayed for leadership. We prayed for discernment. We prayed for her, and we prayed for ourselves. That really was pivotal, meaningful to me.”
“For me, I referred to her as ‘Pastor,’ ” said Kahului State Representative Justin Woodson. “Pastor, she was outwardly thinking. She always thought about other people. And I think that’s where she had her joy. She spent countless, countless hours thinking about that. The last time I saw Pastor, she was concerned about the Kauhale in Pu‘unēnē. That’s how she always was, she was always focused on uplifting people. She will be missed.”
“[Tasha had great love, passion and commitment] about her community, about her ‘ohana, said Lahela Aiwohi, a community activitist and consultant. “And that’s what made her who she was. A very, very special lady. I am grateful for everything she has done for us.”
As the Kahului councilmember, Tasha had a special place in her heart for the Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center and its programs. “Tasha was very supportive of Binhi at Ani,” said Melen Agcolicol who served as president from 2020–2024. “Right after Binhi at Ani’s Seed and Harvest Dinner in 2019, Tasha pledged $25,000 and together with another $25,000 through then Mayor Michael Victorino, Binhi at Ani was able to renovate the kitchen. This proved very helpful during the pandemic as we were able to launch the Bayanihan Food Distribution program and later the Bayanihan Feeding Program.”
Beyond the renovations of Binhi at Ani, Tasha was supportive of Binhi at Ani’s other programs. “She volunteered at almost every monthly Bayanihan Food Distribution during the pandemic,” recalls Agcolicol. “And she not only gave financial support to the Barrio Fiesta through the grant process but she made sure to attend where she was always amazed how a group of small volunteers could organize and present the Barrio Fiesta.”
According to the County rules, the Council will have thirty days to appoint her successor. If not, it will fall to Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr.
“I just hope that whoever takes her place will have the same concern and support for Binhi at Ani and the Filipino community,” said Agcolicol. “I will miss her; Binhi at Ani will miss her; the Filipino community will miss her; it’s such a great loss for Maui.”
Assistant Editor Alfredo G. Evangelista is a graduate of Maui High School (1976), the University of Southern California (1980), and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law (1983). He is a sole practitioner at Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limited Liability Law Company, concentrating in estate planning, business start-up and consultation and nonprofit corporations. He has been practicing law for 42 years (since 1983) and returned home in 2010 to be with his family and to marry his high school sweetheart, the former Basilia Tumacder Idica. Gil S.C. Keith-Agaran contributed to this article.