Pacific Edge Magazine

Amber Watt Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people? My job was working at the front desk for Drury Hotels, a brand that, if you know it, you know consistently rates with luxury resorts for client satisfaction. Not because of the thread count but because of the way the people are...

CordonStapp Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people? My first job was when I was 15, working on the beach in Waikīkī as a beach boy for Hawaiian Oceans. I was setting up umbrellas, helping guests, renting surfboards, and learning how to work with people from all over the world. That...

Elliot Mills Headshot

Elliot K. Mills

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

When did you realize hospitality was your calling, not just your career? I realized my passion for hospitality through my early experiences working at the Sheraton Moana as a valet and busboy, as well as my internship at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Working alongside great teams while creating memorable experiences for our guests left a lasting...

Holly Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people? My first real job out of college was working as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Being an auditor taught me that you can learn so much when you surround yourself with brilliant and hardworking people. That group inspired me to put in the...

IwalaniKahoohanohano HEADSHOT

ʻIwalani Kūaliʻi Kahoʻohanohano

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

As a kanaka ʻōiwi, what does hospitality mean to you? Hospitality is an extension of our natural way of life at home. In Hawaiʻi, hoʻokipa means welcoming someone into your home and helping them feel a sense of belonging. That shared sense of place is what moves everyone to give of themselves to the greater good...

Ihab Kherati

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

How has growing up or living in Hawai‘i influenced the way you serve others? I will never forget the very first words spoken to me when I arrived at the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach. A team member looked at me and said, “Ihab, you are not here to change the culture—the culture will change you.” It...

Jeffery Eslinger

Jeffrey Eslinger

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people? My very first job was at McDonald's, and I still think about the training I received there today. The systems, the standards, the focus on consistency, and the guest experience were more rigorous than most people give it credit for. It shaped...

Jennifer Chun..

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people? One of my first jobs was as a Student Teller for Kamehameha Federal Credit Union. It was an on-campus job, and we had our own special window on the side of the regular credit union. I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with...

JerryGibson

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What legacy do you hope to leave within Hawaiʻi’s hospitality community? My mindset is that a successful visitor industry isn't measured by the number of visitors we welcome, but by how much better life is for the people who call Hawaiʻi home. When we look back, I hope people can say that I continue to maximize the...

JohnPele

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

When did you realize hospitality was your calling, not just your career? Working in hospitality in Hawaiʻi made me realize that it was more than just a career for me—it became a calling through the values of aloha and mālama. I began to understand that true hospitality is not only about service, but about making people...

Kathy Gunderson Headshot

Kathy Gunderson

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What part of your personality makes you especially suited for this industry? What makes me especially suited for this industry is my genuine passion for people combined with a strong sense of accountability and attention to detail. I naturally lead with empathy and connection—I enjoy creating meaningful experiences, not just for guests, but for my team as...

KimAgas

Kimberly Leimomi Agas

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What legacy do you hope to leave within Hawai‘i’s hospitality community? I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to work alongside incredible people and be part of an industry that creates opportunities for others. At Aulani, one of the things that has always been most important to me is supporting our Cast Members and helping local residents...

Matt Baily Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people? My first job was working in my dad’s garage and gas station during high school. My dad had been an aerospace executive before he bought the garage and was the smartest, quickest person I’ve ever known. Because he got dirty and wore...

Ray Mark Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your first job, and what did it teach you about people? My first job was at Nielsen Media Research, cold-calling households across the country to recruit them for the national TV ratings. It was a crash course in humility. When you interrupt someone's dinner to ask them to log a week of their TV...

Rena A Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

When did you realize hospitality was your calling, not just your career? I realized hospitality was more than just a job very early on—ironically, in the same building I now manage, Hotel Renew. I was born and raised in American Samoa, where the population is around 45,000 people, and life felt very familiar. You grow up seeing...

ShaunOno

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

When did you realize hospitality was your calling, not just your career? I was born in Hawaiʻi but raised in Japan until I was 15 years old. When I returned to Hawaiʻi to attend Mid-Pacific Institute, I experienced the islands in a completely different way. I fell in love with the beauty of the land, the...

Sheryl Tsugawa

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

How has growing up or living in Hawai‘i influenced the way you serve others? Growing up in Hawai‘i shaped every aspect of how I serve and care for others. Being surrounded by extended family taught me early on that we are part of something greater than ourselves and that we each have a responsibility to support...

Stephen Hincks Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What part of your personality makes you especially suited for this industry? I simply LOVE the hospitality industry. I came to Hawai‘i when I was a teenager and got the chance to experience the magic of Waikīkī Beach. Needless to say, it was transformative and I was totally hooked. I then went on to study Hotel...

Traci Bush

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

When did you realize hospitality was your calling? When I first started working with my dad at Waikīkī Beach Services, I thought I was just joining the family beach business. It wasn’t until later that I realized hospitality was at the heart of what we did. One of my favorite things to do was serve as my...

Trevor Abarzua Headshot

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people skills? My very first job in high school was with the Parks and Recreation Department in my hometown of about 10,000 people. I spent my days mowing lawns, pulling weeds, picking up trash, and doing the behind-the-scenes work that helps public spaces...

2026 Q3 Hospitality Issue

Amber Watt

Director of Marketing & Communications

Hotel Wailea, Relais & Châteaux
Cordon Stapp

Director of Sales & Marketing

Go Tours Hawaii
Elliot K. Mills

CEO

Hawaii Hospitality Group
Holly Morikami

Business Development and Account Executive

Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc.
ʻIwalani Kūaliʻi Kahoʻohanohano

Head of Hawaiian Culture & Community Relations

Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa
Ihab Kherati

Dual Property General Manager

Hyatt Hotels/PM Hotel Group
Jeffrey Eslinger

Senior Director, Market Insights & CRM

Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau
Jennifer Chun

Director of Tourism Research State of Hawai‘i Department of Business

Economic Development & Tourism
Jerry Gibson

President, Hawaii Hospitality Group President, Hawaii Hotel Alliance

company
John Pele

Executive Director

Maui Hotel and Lodging Association
Kathy Gunderson

Area Manager–Waikiki and General Manager–Waikiki Circle Hotel

Castle Castle Hotels & Resorts
Kimberly Leimomi Agas

Executive Director

companyAulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
Matt Bailey

President & CEO

Castle Resorts & Hotels
Ray Mark

Director of Marketing

Cirque du Soleil
Rena Caguioa

General Manager

Lotus Honolulu and Hotel Renew - MacNaughton Hospitality
Shaun Ono

General Manager

DoubleTree By Hilton Alana–Waikiki Beach
Sheryl Tsugawa

Regional Director of Sales & Marketing

PM Hotel Group
Stephen Hinck

Area Managing Director, Highgate Hotels General Manager, Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows

Highgate Hotels
Traci K. Bush

Owner & President

Waikīkī Beach Services
Trevor Abarzua

President & CEO

Waikiki Improvement Association
Yohei Takahashi

President

Dean & Deluca

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