Trustees with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs yesterday voted 8-0 to make former Kamehameha Schools land director Robert K. Lindsey Jr. their ninth board member.

Lindsey, a resident of Waimea on the Big Island and 1966 Kamehameha Schools graduate, will fill the remaining term of Big Island trustee Linda Dela Cruz, who died March 15.

He will take office April 16 pending verification of the legal requirements, such as residency and registered voter status. The term runs through the November 2008 election.

Lindsey was Kamehameha Schools' Big Island land assets director. He is also former park ranger at Pu'u Kohola National Historic Site and served as a social worker with state Family Court.

Lindsey's selection was approved 8-0 yesterday.

Six other candidates had been nominated by the trustees: Louis Hao, Palikapu Dedman, Ann Nathaniel, William Chillingworth, Charles Rose and Mililani Trask. During an initial round of voting, Lindsey received three votes with five others receiving one vote each. Lindsey received all the votes the second go-around.

The board had 60 days to select a replacement trustee by a two-thirds majority vote.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.