Throughout the day, board members and leaders were guided by the dedicated program teams who serve these communities every day. Mahalo to the project directors and staff who led the visits and offered firsthand insight into each program’s impact!

From participating in Parent And Children Together (PACT) time, to sitting in on Parent Education classes, to walking through a puʻuhonua created for youth at Ke Kama Pono, the day was filled with powerful moments of pilina (relationship-building) and ʻike (understanding). Each site visit offered a closer look at how PIDF’s programs support families through culturally grounded approaches, and how staff and participants continue to shape these spaces with care, resilience, and aloha.

At the close of the visit, the Board and Leadership Team left with a renewed understanding of why this work matters—and the collective commitment that makes it possible. As the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau reminds us, “ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia”—no task is too big when done together. That spirit was felt throughout the day in the way PIDF comes together to uplift one another and strengthen Hawaiʻi’s communities.

We extend a sincere mahalo to the staff and participants who welcomed the Board and Leadership Team with such warmth and aloha. Your stories are the heartbeat of this organization, and a meaningful reminder of the purpose that guides this work.

Gary was an original member of the Partners in Development Foundation’s Board of Directors and served as a Vice President during the early years of the Foundation. He dedicated his life to the ideals of helping those in need and being a better man for those around him.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Gary attended UCLA before going on to Tufts University to earn his Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy. He co-founded ACCION International, a global nonprofit created to help advance financial inclusion by giving people the financial tools to improve their lives.

Gary also co-founded the Latin American Teaching Fellowship corporation, served as president of the Massachusetts Centers of Excellence Corporation, and developed, directed, or was involved with several projects in Hawaiʻi which concentrated on environmental protection and improvement, preschool and K-12 education.

His passion for education involved three large-scale, federally-funded projects that partnered with PIDF, the Malama ʻĀina Foundation, the University of Hawaiʻi, and other Hawaiʻi entities. All of these projects successfully enhanced educational opportunities for Native Hawaiian students.

“Gary was, for me, the Renaissance man,” says PIDF President Jan Dill. “I had the privilege to work with him on a number of projects to help the needy, and one example was his determination to ensure that the foundation we started 22 years ago survived its early years. Because of his determination and his input, PIDF has gone on to serve tens of thousands of needy Hawaiian children and families.”

He kanaka kū pono — Gary was a man who stood for what is right and just.

Gary A. Glenn will certainly be remembered for his professional life, his accolades, the numbers of communities and various organizations who benefited from his expertise and drive. But Gary will also be remembered for his humility, his brilliance, and his humor.

“I most of all will miss his kindness, his heartfelt kindness,” says Judy Dill, “and his love for his family and devotion to his family and how proud of his family he was.”

Gary leaves behind his wife, Dr. Evelyn Nakano Glenn, and three children.