Na Makamae: Paul, Tūtū and Me January 27, 2020

Paul Chun is the Program Accountant/ Budget Analyst for our Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool. For nearly 14 years, Paul’s towering figure has been a welcome presence at Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF).

Paul ensures that Tūtū and Me is fiscally responsible and manages the budgets of all 13 teams across Hawaiʻi. Although he does not have any background in early childhood education, he understands the importance of the work done by every staff member.

“He cares so much and is always willing to go over and above to make things better for our staff, administration, and the children and caregivers that we serve,” says Vice President of Operations Alison Masutani.

“When I see the front line staff do what they do, day in and day out, that’s what motivates me to do whatever I can to help provide them with the necessary resources to deliver Tūtū and Me to those we serve,” says Paul.

Known as Tūtū and Me’s “money man,” Paul came to PIDF after working for many years with a small, family-owned commercial real estate business. Yonette Nakamura, Tūtū and Me Hawaiʻi North’s Site Manager, has known Paul since he started and explains how profound, empathetic, and witty he is.

Yonette describes an incident in 2013 when a Tūtū and Me staff member’s mother was rushed to the hospital on a neighbor island. “Paul was not only comforting to that team member, he was instrumental in getting her on the next flight and driving her to the airport.”

“When things are crazy, I appreciate his humor and when things are stressful, I appreciate the time he takes to talk with me and think things through,” says Alison. “He is such a joy and I feel so blessed to have him as a colleague and to be able to call him my friend.”

Mahalo nui loa to Paul for all of his diligent work to ensure our Tūtū and Me program continues to be able to serve our families and communities! We are grateful for his humor and spirit here at PIDF.

Na Makamae is our monthly segment where we recognize employees who are doing tremendous work with the children and families they serve. ‘Na Makamae’ refers to those who are prized, highly valued, highly appreciated. Na Makamae are those who are endeared to us.