Paula has over 30 years of experience in communications and leadership, and has covered a variety of stories about Iolani Palace while working at KITV, and now is serving as Executive Director for the Friends of Iolani Palace, preserving a local treasure. Akana graduated from Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she earned a bachelor’s degree journalism and a minor in Hawaiian anthropology and archaeology, and is involved with a number of local organizations including YMCA of Honolulu, Mao Farms, Hawaiian Civil Club of Honolulu and the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
Everything she has done over the years has led her to where she is today. In high school she wrote for the newspaper, developed a love for history and wanted to see the world. In college she studied to be an accountant. She later realized through an internship with KITV while at UH that she loved to tell stories and report. This was around the time of Indiana Jones and she took classes in anthropology. Those classes at UH sparked her love for Hawaiian culture. She looked at Hawaii and realized how much we have and how much we are losing. Her teacher started a voyaging society and she became interested in the Hokulea, the “pinnacle of Hawaiian renaissance.” As Akana shares, that canoe has been the forefront of raising self esteem about Hawaii. She (Hokulea) was able to go all over the world. She was like a lei - every time she went to another place in the world she added a flower to a beautiful lei.
While covering those stories as a reporter she was also covering Iolani Palace and became friends with the director at the time. She was approached by board members of Friends of Iolani Palace to take on the leadership role which she had to weigh heavily as it was out of her comfort zone, but she believed all the skills she developed over the years and her love for hawaiian culture and nonprofits led her to take on the role of Executive Director for the Friends of Iolani Palace.
Like the Hokulea, the icon of the ocean, Iolani Palace is the icon of the soil. There were quite a few challenges including repair and maintenance, funding, and then the pandemic. When she conversed with law makers, she was like a jellyfish - overly transparent and worked to develop an understanding of what they were looking at and what they need. When the Pandemic hit, she learned quickly that 90% of their revenue came from ticket sales and they suddenly were losing over $7,000 a day with their doors closed, with virtually nothing set aside. They were in a pickle. A tight pickle jar with a tight lid. They had to do something. They were fortunate to be able to reopen to a smaller crowd later and benefitted from PPP funds to prepare to reopen safely in a new COVID environment. Hawaii residents were wonderful and came in and embraced them. They had to pivot and opened an online store. They had to reduce their staffing quite a bit.
There is a silver lining. She went back to her dreams and thoughts for the Palace before the pandemic hit. She (Palace) has so much to share with Hawaii and the world. It is much more than what you learn on a 45 minute tour. Paula envisions the Palace as a platform for education, culture and history, much like the Hokulea going around the globe. Kalakaua navigated the globe and made so many relationships. The White House first state dinner was in his honor. He brought electricity to Hawaii 4 years before the White House. He was a remarkable renaissance man who had foot planted firmly in the past (hula) and one foot in the future (technology). So many wonderful stories and educational opportunities the Palace can share through the eyes of people who walked the hallways. So many lessons in character, charity, love and Aloha from the Queen. Everything she did for the people. The Kingdom of Hawaii had treaties with over 2 dozen countries. The Palace can be a platform to help so many people around the world and to develop and strengthen relationships. Getting there means we need to achieve short and midterm goals.
Paula also shared some leadership tips and advice she has learned over time. These include: Spend time understanding where people are and why they are there. If you ask someone to do something, you should be willing to do it as well. Be proactive and transparent. Have the support of great mentors. Take that leap of faith.
Paula encouraged us to tour, visit, say hello, and see what the Palace has to share with you.