KA ULUWEHI

PACIFIC AMERICAN FOUNDATION | November 2025

Aloha mai!

This year, the Pacific American Foundation’s beloved Herb Lee transitioned from his CEO and President position into a new role of CEO Emeritus, and is remaining on our board. Retiring from the position, not the mission is his new motto, which lives alongside his usuals (aloha ʻāina and mālama ʻāina, being a producer with a generational mindset, lead with aloha, and so forth). As his successor, Kapono Ciotti, a longtime member of the PAF ʻOhana, has taken the helm. Kapono’s worldwide expertise, copious teaching experience, and humorous spirit make him a wise, thoughtful, and impactful leader. Derek Esibill, our Watershed Investigations Research and Design (WIRED) and Kilo Kai program director has transitioned into a new role, he is now our Chief Operating Officer (COO). Louis Perez remains at the helm of our finances as the Chief Financial Officer. Jayten Galario is our knowledgeable Kiaʻi Loko Iʻa, with Waylin Kaneakua as our aquaculture specialist and ʻāina educator. We continue to be grateful to Uncle Glenn for caring for our pond, too. We have Kai Mead as our Director of Education Services.

Grace Cajski, who has been part of the PAF ʻOhana since 2024 and a mentee of Uncle Herb’s since 2021, is our Community Engagement and Storytelling Coordinator. In this new role, Grace will help PAF tell the story of our work, which we believe to be a necessary component of our mission. By recording our ʻike and manaʻo, we can serve as a repository for and generative force of knowledge and culture. We hope that by bridging past and future—being stewards passing through time—we can see our people and ʻāina thrive once again. This monthly newsletter will be part of that initiative.

September Lā ʻOhana Success!

Mahalo piha to all those who showed up and worked hard on our September 20 workday at Waikalua Loko Iʻa. We managed to clean the aquaculture center, remove so many invasive mangrove, and even tackle some yard hana. 

Spending a Saturday morning together and sharing a meal afterwards: that’s how you build pilina!!! Waikalua Loko Iʻa and PAF mahalo you for your kōkua!

Another Beautiful Night of Mele

Our Kanikapila o Mahina benefit was a huge success! Mahalo nui to our community for showing up!

Thank you to our wonderful performers, including students from Pacific Buddhist Academy, Jamarek, and the Tommy James Quintet featuring Deshannon Higa. 

Events like these are opportunities for our community to build pilina with Waikalua Loko Iʻa through artistry and fun.

Paepae and Looking to Ancient Technologies in a Modern World

Ikaika Bishop hosted an incredible “surround and pound” event to fish out invasive tilapia. In our piko circle, we discussed how important it is to coordinate and hana together as a team. The magic and technology of work like this is our capacity to laulima. Community, and the diversity of knowledge, skills, and perspectives that we have within it, is our greatest asset and superpower.

With keiki and adults alike learning essential skills while building pilina to this place—we all went home with giant smiles. So many people came that our line stretched across the kuapā. This is what abundance is!

This month's moʻolelo

— Ma ka hana ka ʻike —

In the doing, the learning. When students hana at the pond, theyʻre learning about ʻāina, history, culture. "You can learn everything through ʻāina," said a poʻo kumu (school leader) recently.

Updates and Events

(1) PAF is collaborating with the Castle Foundation to disburse $75,000 worth of grant funds to student groups who are making a difference in their communities. Reach out to Grace Cajski at grace@thepaf.org to learn more and receive application support. Learn more about the Windward Youth Leadership Fund opportunity. Check out PAF’s informational webinar.

(2) PAF's next Lā ʻOhana community workday is Saturday November 15 8AM-12PM. Register ahead of time.

(3) PAF is hosting a professional learning summit February 12-14 at Waikalua Loko Iʻa, Humanizing Education with Aloha. Learn more and register today.

Meet the PAF Staff

Waylin Kaneakua found her way to the PAF ʻOhana through her children, and serendipity. She was dropping off her daughter for a day in the NALU studies summer program in July 2020, when she saw Derek drop his papers. She bent down to help, and he assumed she was a new hire. He asked her to help welcome and check the temperatures of incoming students, and she did. Then, she saw some girls goofing off and took it upon herself to scold ʻem. The PAF ʻOhana knew that Waylin was exactly what we needed. “And that was it! Next thing you know I was with PAF, and it’s been good ever since!” Waylin continued to volunteer sporadically with PAF for a few months, until one July day Jayten was telling Uncle Herb that he needed help at the pond. Uncle Herb turned to Waylin and said, “Waylin, do you mind?” Waylin, not realizing how much she would be able to learn or do, or even realizing that she would be paid, agreed.

Today, Waylin shares that returning to ʻāina, rebuilding connection alongside her family and the PAF ʻOhana does not feel like work. “To be back here, working here and taking care of it, thatʻs what I was meant to do: take care of the family.”

 🤙🏾 E ho mai, we are the Pacific American Foundation, a Native Hawaiian-serving non-profit established in 1993, dedicated to improving the lives of all Pacific Americans through courage, humility, dignity, and competence.