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 benefits of Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry while minimizing its impact on our communities.
Tourism is the economic engine of Hawaiʻi, and its impact extends far beyond our hotels. Every hotel job supports countless others from local farmers and fishermen to musicians, transportation companies, restaurants, retailers, and small businesses. I have always believed that leaders in hospitality have a responsibility to make decisions that strengthen not only their hotels, but Hawaiʻi as a whole.
Whether leading large hotels with thousands of team members or serving as President of the Hawaiʻi Hotel Alliance, I continue to advocate for policies that create opportunities for local families while protecting the communities we all call home.
That has meant supporting and creating good careers with competitive wages and benefits, and working with lawmakers on issues that affect both our industry and our residents.
I also believe that leadership means addressing the unintended consequences of tourism. For many years I have worked to reduce illegal short-term rentals because they have contributed to housing shortages and made it increasingly difficult for local families and young people to continue living in Hawaiʻi. A thriving visitor industry should never come at the expense of the people who call these islands home.
If I leave any legacy, I hope it is that I helped make Hawaiʻi stronger and I used hospitality not simply to welcome visitors but to create opportunities, support local families, and ensure the success of tourism was shared throughout our community.
When did you realize hospitality was your calling, not just your career?
Even growing up, I always loved the hospitality world. I enjoyed the energy, the people. But when you lead a hotel, you very quickly learn your responsibility extends beyond guests or the financial performance of the business. A hotel is not just a building; it is a community. It is made up of hundreds or thousands of team members and their families, each with their own hopes, challenges, and dreams.
Your perspective shifts to recognizing the impact your decisions have on that community. You see firsthand how issues like the cost of housing, the availability of childcare, transportation, or young adults leaving Hawaiʻi in search of opportunities affect your team every day.
In what ways can hospitality support local culture?
Hospitality has the unique ability to support local culture by investing in the people who keep it alive. One of the things I enjoyed most throughout my career was creating opportunities for Hawaiian musicians and dancers. During my time at Hilton alone, we invested more than $1 million annually in live local entertainment. I intentionally expanded live Hawaiian music and hula not only because it enhanced the guest experience, but it also created meaningful work for local artists.
Seeing talented musicians, dancers and cultural managers earn a living, support their families, and share their passion with visitors was incredibly rewarding. Those opportunities help keep our treasured Hawaiian traditions vibrant and ensure they continue to be passed on to future generations and spread throughout the world.
