PACIFIC BUSINESS NEWS - Women Who Mean Business 2021 - Laura Kaakua
Laura Kaakua, 2021 Women Who Mean Business Honoree, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in Honolulu.
Pacific Business News - EUGENE TANNER
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was always bringing home injured birds and stray animals, so perhaps it is fitting that the places Hawaii Land Trust protects are home to native wildlife.
What was your top professional achievement in 2021? I’m proud of the land protection, stewardship, and education work my team is doing across Hawaii, which has inspired large gifts that are now supporting additional good work on the ground.
Who was your first mentor, and what did you learn from them? An early mentor for me was my grandmother Hazel Ching. She passed away at 106 years old. I learned values through observing the little things she did. She would cook and serve a huge meal for her family, and then in the kitchen she would eat the pieces of meat that were too small to serve, or the wonton that accidentally got smashed. She would sit at the dining table watching everyone else eat, and a big smile would creep across her face as she saw her family enjoying and laughing together. Through watching her, I learned to put others first, and find joy when others around me are happy. I try to apply that simple lesson in all realms of life.
What has been your strategy in leading your team through the pandemic? Seizing opportunities, focusing on the community benefit of our work, and making sure my team knows that we are in it together. Through the pandemic’s constant uncertainty, I have had to make decisions and act quickly even on uneven terrain. Hawaii Land Trust asked a simple question in March 2019 — “What are the resources and skills that our organization has to directly benefit Hawaii through the pandemic?”
To keep people healthy and immersed in nature, HILT’s preserves remained open following Covid protocols. We partnered to hire people who had lost their jobs, and tackled huge land restoration projects. We saw real estate opportunities during the pandemic and began once-in-a-lifetime land protection efforts.
