Recently at PAF, we have been thinking about circles, renewals, loops, and returns: the way that, in Hawaiʻi nei, you never meet someone just once; the way that some days have the flavor of past years; the way that, like moons, the world around us can wax and wane.
Aloha mai! This year, the Pacific American Foundation’s beloved Herb Lee stepped down as CEO and President (stepping into a new role of CEO Emeritus and 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 not a consumer, lead with aloha, and so forth).
2025-2026
Pacific American Foundation
Who We Are:
The Pacific American Foundation (PAF) is a Native Hawaiian-led nonprofit with 30 years of experience delivering culturally grounded, research-based learning and leadership solutions for Hawai‘i’s schools, organizations, and communities. Our work is anchored in the Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ) framework and global best practices for sustainable systems change.
We partner with schools, complexes, agencies, nonprofits, and corporate teams to design and deliver professional learning, retreats, and community-based programs that build capacity, strengthen culture, and improve [……]