Kaleo Manuel is Deputy Director for the State of Hawai‘i Commission on Water Resource Management, tasked with administering the State Water Code. He is an 'ōlapa and ho‘opa‘a in Hālau Pua Ali‘i ‘Ilima, completing his traditional ‘ūniki rites with Kumu Hula Victoria Holt-Takamine in 2017.  Kaleo also holds a B.A. in Hawaiian Studies, a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, and a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation, all from UH Mānoa, and has focused on bringing planning and indigenous knowledge to the fields of water advocacy and management. Kaleo is one of 200 inaugural Obama Leaders representing the Asia-Pacific region with the Obama Foundation. He was born and raised on the Island of Hawai‘i and currently resides in Wahiawā, O'ahu.