Dr. Shawn Kanaʻiaupuni to Succeed Jan Dill March 6, 2020

Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF), a statewide nonprofit serving at-risk and economically challenged communities across Hawaiʻi, today announced that our president and founder Jan E. Hanohano Dill is retiring at the end of this month. Dr. Shawn Malia Kanaʻiaupuni, Executive Strategy Consultant with the Kamehameha Schools Strategy & Innovation Group will succeed Jan as president of PIDF.

Jan has grown PIDF from casual talk on the lānai to a small organization of one program on one island, to today’s 10 programs on five islands serving thousands of people each year. His goal was to build an organization to empower people to overcome challenges and in turn help others.

Our first program, Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool, was created to help meet the developmental needs of young children and to support grandparents and caregivers in this task. The success of Tūtū and Me enabled us to extend our reach and add over a dozen programs over the years to service our communities.

Today PIDF operates at a budget of just under $20 million with 92% of all funding going directly to support our programs (8% going to overhead costs). We remain committed to fiscal and programmatic transparency, and extend our gratitude to the many partners, donors, and individuals who have supported us over the years.

Shawn comes to PIDF after spending almost 20 years in various capacities at Kamehameha Schools, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge in Native Hawaiian and place-based education, and demonstrable leadership and innovation fostering collaborative partnerships with key organizations for a better Hawaiʻi.

“I’m so grateful for the diverse experiences, relationships, and mentors who have supported me over many years in service to Pauahi’s legacy,” said Shawn. “Leading PIDF is a chance to learn and expand, and it’s also a chance to give back. It’s about kuleana that comes with all that I have been blessed to receive from Pauahi over the years. I mua!”

Shawn’s experience and passion for mobilizing positive educational outcomes for Native Hawaiian children will be invaluable to PIDF and its mission providing free education, social service, environmental, and Hawaiian language programs to at-risk communities across the state.

She earned her MA and PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Shawn works closely with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, having been the lead coordinator for the Promise to Children educational initiative and a volunteer crew member on the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

“PIDF is an amazing asset in our community, especially as a support for Hawaiʻi’s families and youth,” she said. “The opportunity to join PIDF is related to a question I often ask myself: Where can I contribute and make a positive impact in the world, in Hawaiʻi, and in our communities? I am drawn to PIDF because of its commitment to serving where the needs are greatest.”

Jan is retiring from PIDF after founding and leading the nonprofit with his “half a brain, whole heart” philosophy for 23 years. He plans not to fully retire but to shift his efforts serving Hawaiʻi communities through the Mālama ʻĀina Foundation, continuing as its president and vice chairman of the board.

The transition will be effective April 1st, 2020.