In a few days, dear friend Lesley Makekau will be off to Orlando, Florida. No, she’s not going on a Disney World vacation, she’ll be in training for her new job as CUNA Mutual Group sales executive. No longer a veteran Hawaii Credit Union League employee (27 years is a lifetime for some) my good friend is embarking on a whole new adventure. To say I am very sad to see her leave is an epic understatement.
Lesley Frost started working at the League as its receptionist-clerk typist in 1983. In the nearly three decades that followed, she became Lesley Makekau and successfully worked as a supply/purchasing agent, business relations specialist, and member relations officer. Whenever she faced the challenges of a new job description, she rose above obstacles with wisdom and a great sense of humor. “I’m a duck,” she would say when things got hectic. “I just let it roll off my back!” We all admired her duck-like qualities and would often quack our approval.
Lesley’s keen intelligence was demonstrated in the fact she graduated from Western CUNA Management School (WCMS) with “High Honors”. She was also among those inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame from the 46th session of WCMS held July 15-27, 2007 at Pomona College in California.
On a personal note, I am saying so long (but not goodbye) to a dear friend who has been a part of my life for 20 years. When you’ve known someone for so long and share the same warped sense of humor, it makes the worst work day a bit more bearable. For an entire year, Lesley used to read me The Joke of The Day off her desk calendar. She loved to involve anyone in the lunchroom with the trivia quizzes from the daily newspaper. We would burst into song at the mention of a single word or if a phrase reminded us of a show tune. I remember when Lesley wanted me to name my daughter “Wai Pei”. She explained, “So your daughter would be Why Pay Moore!”
Then there was this often repeated exchange:
Me: “Hullo…”
Lesley: “Welcome to Draw Like a Pig!”
I don’t really remember where that came from, but it stuck with us all these years and still makes us laugh.
When I first came to the League I told Lesley I wasn’t going to stay very long. She laughed at me every time I said in frustration, “This will be my last annual convention!” She would reply, “You just added five more years to your life at the League!” How ironic then that my friend Lesley, the one person I thought would never leave the League has taken another career path. I’m glad she’s still in the credit union movement and I know she will be an awesome addition to the CUNA Mutual staff in Hawaii. I know we’ll see Lesley at the annual conventions, although she will be inside an exhibit booth instead of assisting in the entire exhibit area. We’ll probably see her every once in awhile when CUNA Mutual staff attends League board meetings. And when she stops by to say, “Hullo…” I will reply, “Welcome to Draw Like a Pig!” It will be like old times.
