Mufi's Message 9.6.19

Pacific Century Fellows - Class of 2019

​The Pacific Century Fellows (PCF) Program has announced its 17th cohort which includes 35 outstanding individuals who represent the best and brightest that Hawai‘i has to offer. This year’s class features a diverse group of men and women who come from a variety of backgrounds including financial institutions, healthcare, government, tourism, and the nonprofit sector, among others. Over the next nine months, Fellows will meet each month for an “education day” that will provide them with an in-depth look at a myriad of issues that affect Hawai‘i today. With these newfound perspectives, the Fellows will be encouraged to be more active citizens while applying what they have learned throughout the course of the program.
 
HLTA members and the visitor industry as a whole are well-represented in this year’s class. New Fellows from our membership include:

• Nicole Altman – Senior Counsel, Kamehameha Schools
• Tracy Camuso – Associate and Senior Planner, G70
• Andy Downes – Senior Vice President, Bank of Hawai‘i
• Michael Foumai – Composer & Instructor, University of Hawai‘i
• Del Mochizuki – Controller, UHA Health Insurance
• Drew Monahan – Vice President, First Hawai’ian Bank
• Lisa Nillos – Community Development Manager, Central Pacific Bank
• Agatha Viernes – Vice President, Bank of Hawai‘i

I founded PCF in 1996 based on the transformative experience that I had while participating in the White House Fellows program during the Reagan administration. Since PCF’s inception, nearly 475 people have successfully completed the PCF program and have gone on to successful and impactful careers in a multitude of fields. Two of the Fellows who were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of community leaders, in particular, come with strong visitor industry experience and backgrounds. Keli‘i Gouveia has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the restaurant industry that saw him progress from security to General Manager of Duke’s Waikiki, the position which he currently holds. Keli‘i also serves as chairman of the Hawai’i Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors and spends countless hours mentoring high school culinary students at Duke’s. HLTA Senior Director of Government and Community Affairs Jared Higashi has been a fixture in the HLTA offices for the past five years and has done exceptional work in our government relations and charity walk endeavors.
The tourism industry has also figured prominently in previous PCF classes. Last year’s Fellows included Dylan Ching who is the Area General Manager for TS Restaurants with oversight responsibilities for Waikiki and Kaua‘i. Also present in the Class of 2018 was Daniel Chun who is the Director of Sales, Community & Public Relations for Hawai’i at Alaska Airlines and who also serves on the HLTA Board of Directors. Other Fellows included Marriott International Senior Account Manager Allison Tomisato Alves and Founder of Akamai Training & Consulting, Corey Campbell, both of whom have been active in HLTA HYPE committee activities.   
 
My congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2019 as they embark on this next journey in their personal and professional development.

Ka 'Ikena 2019

Our 8th Annual Ka ‘Ikena Reception is being held earlier than usual this year and the date is fast approaching. Please join me and my team on Tuesday, September 24th at the Ka ‘Ikena Dining Room at Kapi‘olani Community College where you will not only get to experience delicious dishes prepared by KCC culinary students but also help to support the very program that is training them for the future.
 
If you’ve attended this event in the past, you already know what an amazing experience it is. Exquisite cuisine, great company, and a wonderful time is to be had by all. This is an exclusive event and is limited to the first 100 people to reserve their tickets. Do not wait- register today by clicking the link below.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR KA 'IKENA 2019

Aloha Festivals Check Presentation

This past Saturday, I attended Aloha Festivals’ Royal Court Investiture and Opening Ceremony at The Royal Hawai’ian Hotel where I presented a check to event co-chair Sam Shenkus, of the Royal Hawai’ian Center, from our Visitor Industry Charity Walk. The ceremony officially kicked off Aloha Week, the single largest celebration of Hawai’ian culture in the nation. Interestingly enough, Aloha Week was founded in 1946 and HLTA, which was then known as Hawaii Hotel Association, was established in 1947. Both of these organizations have evolved alongside each other for the past 70 odd years. In addition to Aloha Week, Aloha Festivals oversees longstanding traditions like the annual Waikīkī Ho‘olaule‘a and the annual Floral Parade, both of which will be held later this month.