New executive director named to Maui Hui Mālama

Tamara Tanaka has been named the new Executive Director of Maui Hui Mālama, a nonprofit organization which provides programs to help Maui youth overcome barriers to education, careers, and cultural goals.

She replaces Chelsie Evans who recently accepted the Executive Director role at Hawaiian Community Assets.

Tamara has a long history with Maui Hui Mālama serving as Lead Academic Instructor, Academic Initiatives Coordinator, and most recently as Program Manager. Prior to that, she worked overseas as an Education Coordinator and English Teacher in Shimane and Osaka, Japan.

In her over 10 years with Maui Hui Mālama, organization leaders say Tamara has built strong relationships with youth, families, staff, and community collaborators.

“Tammy has always been an unseen leader in the nonprofit world. Her dedication to Maui Hui Mālama, her relationship with clients, and her ability to learn quickly and deliver quality work makes her an amazing fit as Executive Director for this organization. I foresee the community gaining an insurmountable number of positive outcomes while she’s in this Executive Role. It’s been a pleasure working with her for the past three years. I’m very excited for this organization and the things they will accomplish,” said Evans.

“In 2011, I moved back home from Japan and was googling teaching positions on Maui when, as fate would have it, Hui Mālama Learning Center appeared at the top of the list. On my first day at work, my supervisor asked me to look through some books that were going to be donated to see if there was anything I’d like to keep. There were three copies of a textbook that looked familiar to me, and when I opened the first one, there was my name. It was the same copy I had used in intermediate school. Since that day, I’ve known that I belong here and have always believed that each youth and their ʻohana who have spent time with us were meant to come to our door, too. And the same goes for our hui of community partners, volunteers, donors, and mentors who help us to mālama our keiki and who know that it takes a hui,” said Tanaka.