a message from richard r. kelley to our outrigger...

Saturday Briefing

July 20, 2013 A MESSAGE FROM RICHARD R. KELLEY TO OUR OUTRIGGER ‘OHANA

®

Rob’s Next RideBy David Carey

On July 31, 2013, the Outrigger ‘ohana will bid a fond aloha to Rob Solomon who retires from Outrigger Enterprises Group after 17 years of dedicated service.

This past Wednesday, Outrigger employees gathered to wish Rob well as he embarks on his “next ride.” As many of you know, Rob is an avid cyclist and he is looking forward to spending more time on the bikeways and cross-country ski trails in the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife Flora also plan to spend more time in northern Italy, where their daughter Thais, an accomplished musician, resides.

Rob has been asked to continue as a senior advisor to Outrigger until the end of the year to complete a number of key projects, including serving as co-host of the International Airline Symposium (IAS) in Honolulu in October. His current position of chief strategic research officer will not be replaced; the work will be distributed within Sales & Marketing.

Rob joined Outrigger as senior vice president, sales and marketing in 1996. Known for his out-of-the-box and strategic thinking,

Rob’s Next Ride >> 3

Rob receives gifts of Aloha from Barry Wallace and David Carey

An Inspired Computer Genius

I Never Knew:What Can We Learn

From His Life?By Dr. Richard Kelley

I became a bit nostalgic this week as I read of the recent death of Doug Engelbart. I did not have a chance to meet him, but for a few years, I lived not far from him. More importantly, he was involved in the development of products that have had – and continue having – a tremendous impact on our lives decades after he developed them.

To put Engelbart’s story into perspective, let me first give a bit of my own history. I was only seven years old when I watched the December 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor from a fourth floor patio in Waikīkī and felt the concussion when an explosion tore up the intersection of Kuhio Avenue and Lewers Street, just two blocks away. During the years of World War II, Hawai‘i was jammed with U.S. servicemen and -women preparing to go to the battlefields of the western Pacific. When World War II ended

Computer Genius >> 12

Doug Engelbart

Saturday Briefing

Saturday Briefing is published by and for

employees of Outrigger Enterprises Group (OEG)

Editor-In-Chief: Richard Kelley

Supervising Editor: Pila Hanson

Senior Editor: Kathy Foley

Proofing Assistant: Char Luning

Contributing Writers: Employees of OEG

Visit us online at:

www.saturdaybriefing.outrigger.com

Submissions to Kathy Foley

at [email protected],

via interoffice mail to OEH/HR,

or by phone at (808) 921-6957.

© 2013 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii An Equal Opportunity Employer

Happy Birthday!July 31: Rodrigo P. Cabusas, David Flores, Helen Henry, Anaseini Lutu, Jean Marie Nadres, Tracy L. Nash, Ryan Santos and Ketut Sukarma.

Aug 1: Malia F.A. Fiefia, David Formby Libera Kawalia, Feng Na Li Leong, Nenita Nerveza, Suradat Songkhai, Salayawa Tuione and Ruben S. Velasco.

Aug 2: Frank Ali, Apisai Bavadra, Eduardo Cadavona, Shannon J. Carey, Bertha Dyer, Bruce Hehn, Mataiasi Kuridua, Ivamere Matavesi, Chanarit Thongsai, Virginia A. Trinidad and Kylie Walmsley.

Aug 3: Ramel A. Bagasol, William Arthur Davis, Sheila L. Gerbig-Hussey, Kamolrat Kulsati, Rose Mathiot, Martha Murphy, Boonyung Raksakan, Wayan Sukerta, Kritsada Thongchuai, Marius Hubertus Van Drunen, Isoa Vatuniqere and Alberto J. Yanit.

Aug 4: Savitri Asih, Alex B. Dela Cruz, Evelyn Rabanal Dellosa, Wayupha Eungcharoen, Kathryn A. Foley, Joey Y. Fukuoka, Kristina P. Hanson, Yongjaiyut Hatsachak, Simpat Kus, Phattharawadi Luaseang, Claudette L. Maitland, Mosese Naqaya, Suchada Panwan and Keerin Pinyo.

Aug 5: Tara L. Desantiago, Ida May K. Gager, Vishal Goundar, Phatcharin Kunpibal, Yongxian Liang, Pamela S.M. Niesz and Sireli Tuitoga.

Aug 6: Sathit Bangthong, Xiaofeng Huang, Elvira Lacar Maluyo, Vutaeli Mataluvu, Isikeli Ralulu, Placido Saico, Jr., Kok Leong Shiu and Montian Tantiak. Have a Heart

Give BloodTuesday, July 30, 2013

OHANA Waikiki East Lobby Conference Room

9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Please contact Ashley Cabradilla at 921-6972 to schedule your appointment or call the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i at 848-4721 or schedule your own appointment on eDonor at www.BBH.org. Please help Hawai‘i’s patients by donating blood. It’s safe, it’s simple, it saves lives.

Saturday Briefing

his innovation has helped the company earn many accolades, including recognition as the American Marketing Association’s Marketer of the Year, and enter into successful strategic alliances with partners such as Wyndham Vacation Ownership (formerly Fairfield).

His creativity, intelligence and passion earned him a promotion in 2008 to senior vice president and chief marketing officer providing strategic marketing leadership for our OEG portfolio of brands and lines of business and positioning us to support the changing future needs of our business in Hawai‘i and the Asia Pacific region.

Late last year as part of our transition to a global/regional model and to ensure continuity of leadership, Rob was asked to fulfill a new role of chief strategic research officer with a focus on identifying trends in hospitality, consumer behavior/preferences and potential partnerships for Outrigger. He was also asked to serve in an advisory role to support the transition of the sales and marketing functions to a global/regional structure.

Throughout his career, Rob has earned the respect of professionals in the sales, marketing and hospitality communities around the world. He was recognized by Travel Weekly in 2007 as one whose contributions and leadership have influenced the course of travel today and into the future. His significant efforts in the planning, direction and execution of the marketing of Waikiki Beach Walk® and the “new” Waikīkī garnered him a spot in Travel Weekly’s exclusive Club 33. In 2005, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) polled senior executives throughout the marketplace to identify the most extraordinary sales and marketing minds in hospitality and travel and Rob hit the “Hot List of the Top 25.”

An active member of the Hawai‘i’s visitor industry, Rob has served as a member or board representative for a long list of industry organizations, including the O‘ahu Visitors Bureau, the Marketing Advisory Committee of the Hawai‘i Visitors & Conventions Bureau, the Japan Hawai‘i Tourism Council and the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council.

Mahalo nui loa, Rob, for your many contributions to Outrigger that will continue to greatly benefit us for years to come. We wish you and Flora well in your world travels.

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Rob’s Next Ride >> 4

Kelli-Ann Morihara, Mary Loy and Arhlene Honda

Stephanie Nojima, Rob and

Charlene Goo

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Rob’s Next Ride << From 3

Photos:Top left: Rob cuts the cake

Top right: PK Kaahanui, Lani Von, Jana Baniaga and Marisa Sakamoto

Middle left: Rob and Kim Rogers

Middle right: Will Bethel, Hitomi Saunders and Danny Ojiri

Left: Carolyn Murren, Carly O’Callaghan, Lorry Ijima Sato, Ellie Agustin, Danny Wang, Ellen Isidro, Burton Kong and Kathy Hansberry

Saturday Briefing

Celebrating Employees of the 2nd Quarter 2013By the Human Resource Service Center

Each quarter, it is a pleasure to gather Outrigger ‘ohana together to honor and recognize star performers, this time for the second quarter of 2013. The OHANA Waikiki East was host to the celebration on Tuesday, July 16, with David Carey, Charlene Goo, Bitsy Kelley, Jean Rolles, Chuck Shishido, Barry Wallace, Ruthann Yamanaka and department heads on hand to extend their congratulations and share short anecdotes about each of the distinguished honorees. Congratulations to:

Tamio Albert

Front Desk

Tamio “Tom” Alber i s the epitome of Kīnā‘ole ( f l a w l e s s n e s s ) . H e consistently demonstrates this value through the quality of his daily work while currently working the Front Desk at Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk®. We recently went through Wyndham’s internal audit to ensure our business practices and policies a re up to Wyndham’s standards. According to the auditor, Tom’s night audit packets scored 100 percent. The auditor also asked if we could have the night auditors from the newly acquired Shell properties train with Tom so they could see how he completes his audit and learn best practices. Tom is dependable, punctually swiping in and out every shift and calling in sick only once in the last 12 months. It is because of this and so much more that Tom is so deserving of Employee of the Quarter. Congratulations, Tom!

Lianne Bryant

Information Technology (IT)

L i a n n e j o i n e d t h e I T department this past year with much apprehension as she transitioned from Sales. Sales and IT work closely together and Lianne’s involvement in the past reflected professionalism and mutual respect with the IT team as well as other departments. We knew she would be a perfect fit! Even better, we soon discovered Lianne’s lightning speed in accomplishing the task at hand. As IT’s work has doubled this year, Lianne is a much-needed and appreciated asset to the team. The icing on the cake is that Lianne enjoys sharing her award-winning baking talents with the entire department. Mahalo, Lianne! We’re so glad you are part of our team!

Rachel Compoz-Montoya

Senior Wholesale Agent

Rachel currently works at the Denver Contact Center and consistently displays the Outrigger values by exceeding department standards. Her attendance record is reflective of her reliability. She is eager to assist our ‘ohana in a timely and efficient manner, whether an internal or external “customer.” Her most recent display of this attribute was in her accuracy and efficiency in processing a large number of unanticipated rejects. She continually displays Kuleana by taking ownership of any mistakes made and learning from them. Rachel’s Aloha for our guests can be felt in her smile over the phone; for her co-workers, it is evident in how she works with them and in being flexible with schedules when needed.

Oliver De Leon

Housekeeping

Oliver is a self-motivated employee who currently works at the Outrigger K i a h u n a P l a n t a t i o n . He began working as a room attendant and has steadily worked his way up to association runner. He offers suggestions and ideas to make his job more effective and efficient and always portrays the spirit of Aloha. Each year, he teaches our guests palm frond weaving during our Kō loa Plantat ion Days Pā‘ani Games; return guests look forward to seeing him there. Oliver works well with others and follows s a f e t y r e q u i r e m e n t s , reporting any safety and security concerns. Always focused on the task at hand, he heads right to his job site and gets the job done. He is a reliable and dedicated employee.

Employees of the 2nd Quarter >> 6

Saturday Briefing

Rowena Gaspar

Housekeeping

Rowena currently works at the Outrigger Royal Sea Cliff Resort. As one would expect at a small property, many of our employees wear several different hats and are able to remain very flexible in going from one set of job tasks to another. Rowena displayed that and truly rose to the occasion during the first half of this year when another employee was ill. Rowena assumed complete kuleana for all of the public area (PA) cleaning and never batted an eyelash when asked to split her day between the PA area in addition to helping her own department by completing rooms as well. She truly made a difference which was noticeable to both owners and guests. A dedicated employee for eight years, Rowena is very deserving of this special recognition. Mahalo for your teamwork, Rowena!

Ken Zi Jing Huang

Housekeeping

K e n i s d e p e n d a b l e , conscientious, hardworking and a dedicated grave shift houseman currently working at the OHANA Waikiki West. Ken is always on the move. His position is basically a “one-man game” which can only be accomplished by one that is self-motivated and hardworking l ike Ken. He sets priorities and has everything well taken care of. Besides his regular duties to clean the perimeter of the building/lobby/public restrooms, Ken also tends to the back of the house. The Front Desk staff loves him because he is responsive and prompt to their page for guest requests or unexpected situations. His excellent quality of work and attitude are highly spoken of. Despite his heavy workload and working by himself with no supervision/support, Ken always has a smile, is calm and composed.

John Jay

Front Desk

John cur rent ly works at the Outrigger Luana Waikiki as a night auditor and provides our guests with “Night Audit Aloha Spirit.” This special spirit can best be described as warm and welcoming as guests arrive late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. John is very diligent, conscientious and proac t ive , o f ten anticipating and ensuring the proper amenities (i.e., extra towels for rooms with more than two people, crib in the room for guests traveling with infants, etc.) are delivered to the incoming guest rooms before Housekeeping leaves for the night. Very detail-oriented, John is also dependable and a great team player!

Micah Kalama

Front Desk

Micah, who currently works at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach, is an outstanding member of our ‘ohana and has been from the day he started just over a year ago. With a good-natured personality and a positive outlook on life, Micah demonstrates p u r p o s e f u l n e s s a n d conviction in everything he does. From the very start, Micah grasped the functions and standards of operations at the Front Desk with complete understanding and quickly and consistently became one of the top performers in our Service Excellence Program. As a top performer, he inspires his co-workers to strive to offer every guest the opportunity to experience only the best throughout their stay. Micah’s personality and work ethic led to numerous guest comments and online reviews which mention him specifically. Because of his humble nature, many of us were surprised to find that Micah is a professional body boarder. On May 20 during huge South Shore swells, Micah courageously rescued a distressed swimmer. Professionally and personally Micah has the attributes that bring success.

Employees of the 2nd Quarter << From 5


Saturday Briefing



Melissa “Mel” Large

Housekeeping

Cur rent ly work ing a t t h e O u t r i g g e r L i t t l e Hastings Street Resort and Spa, Noosa, Mel has been identified as an exceptional individual who is firmly entrenched in our values. 79 employees, 45 submitted nominations and 23 housekeepers j o i n e d i n u n i s o n t o nominate her for Employee of the Quarter. Mel sets the standard for others to follow. She has a great personality, is courageous and always treats guests with the utmost respect. She works well with all staff, is very spirited and an efficient team leader. She is approachable with a smile that brightens the day. Mel rallies behind others, helps when needed and steps in to help supervise. Honest and reliable, Mel is well liked and respected by all. Congratulations, Mel!

Sepesa Leweniqila

Activities

Sepesa Leweniqila is currently working at the Outrigger on the Lagoon – Fiji and has taken leisure fitness training to a new level. By adding Fijian fitness flair to morning circuit sessions and the Zumba-infused aqua pool aerobics, Sepesa has the highest number of positive guest feedback on the Activities team. Since taking over the aqua aerobics program this year, guest participation continues to grow with 180 in February, 743 in March, 1277 in April and 971 participants in May, speaking volumes of this young man’s input. High ratings on guest feedback won Sepesa the Frontline Employee of the Month in May at the Outrigger Fiji vuvale (family) awards. Sepesa epitomizes Kīnā‘ole and Nā Mea Ho‘okipa as he strives to continuously improve the gym and pool aerobic activities by interacting more with guests before and after his sessions. The increased guest presence poolside has also helped the poolside bar to enjoy record sales!

Waranya “Kae” Luang-Apicharttakul

Food & Beverage

Khun Kae joined the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas as a cu l inary secreta ry in January of this year. She comes in each day with a positive attitude and a lovely smile. As her job involves coordinating others, she consistently d e m o n s t r a t e s h e r willingness to support n o t o n l y h e r f e l l o w associates but also other departments. Khun Kae never says “no” when someone asks for help. During the hotel’s grand opening, it’s not surprising that she enthusiastically volunteered as a cook helper to support the hotel. Additionally, she is also a very responsible and trustworthy person. She always makes sure everything gets done and done well! She is respectful of others and is a wonderful asset to the department and of course, the property. It’s no wonder her dedication and caring is inspiring! Thank you, Khun Kae!

Sandra Mann

Housekeeping

S a n d r a h a s b e e n a r e l i a b l e a n d h a r d working member of the Boathouse Apartments by Outrigger team since starting in October last year. Her dedication to the job and her work ethic wi th her fe l low team members has seen Sandra recently promoted to Housekeeping team leader. Sandra comes to work each day with a happy and positive attitude and is always helpful to staff and hotel guests. She has worked in the hotel industry for many years and understands the need for good guest service. These qual i t ies have earned her this recent promotion and this well-deserved accolade.

Saturday Briefing



Jeff Neimy

Bell

Jeff always displays the values of Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a at work while currently at the Embassy Suites® – Waikiki Beach Walk®. He is willing to assist in times of need without being asked and brings a positive attitude to work that is infectious. Jeff is knowledgeable and experienced, receiving n u m e r o u s c o m m e n t s from guests about how he exemplifies the Aloha Spirit. Guests agree that Jeff’s services exceed their expectations. They all remember him by name, indicating the kind of impact he has on our guests. “Our bell assistant (Jeff) was a delight. Great experience at the hotel.” “We had a wonderful experience at this hotel and would definitely return with our family. We would especially like to recognize Jeff, a bellman at the hotel, who was always friendly and provided service beyond our expectations. Thank you, Jeff!” “This is the best managed Embassy Suites I have ever stayed in. The bell boy, Jeff, was extremely helpful.”

Karen Paxford

Housekeeping

Karen Paxford currently works at the Outrigger Twin Towns Resort. She is a dedicated team member who always chooses to participate in celebrating resort events. Karen was an original member of the Mateship committee and is also a member of a group that identifies potential hazards and risks around the resort and ways in which to reduce them. She is a team player who often encourages those around her to be their best. She prides herself on the high standards presented within her rooms. Karen is willing to assist when staffing is short, even at the last minute! She definitely embodies our value of Flawlessness. Congratulations, Karen!

Chitsanucha Petkreang

Front Office

Chitsanucha has a pleasant personality and a positive attitude at all times while currently working at the Phi Phi Island Village Resort & Spa. She consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and dedication to success. Her efforts have produced high quality results. Initially hired as a receptionist 11 year ago, Chitsanucha is now a guest services coordinator. She attends English classes and front office training service sessions. She leads by example and is well respected by colleagues and management making herself available at any time. Chitsanucha is always well groomed, smiling and very friendly. She is appreciated by our guests evidenced by guest feedback cards. She is always participating in any social activity organised by the department or by the resort. Chitsanucha is of great value to the team and an asset to our organisation with a ‘Can Do Attitude.’

Aaron Robinson

Front DeskA a r o n c o n s i s t e n t l y demonstrates Aloha while currently working at the Wyndham Vacation Resorts Royal Garden at Waikiki. He treats everyone with love, compassion and dignity. Aaron provides exceptional customer service and exceeds guest expectations which is reflected on guest Medallia scores. Aaron has won the Medallia Star of the Month since we began this incentive program in February. Here are some Medallia reviews he received this quarter. “Aaron was so great at the front desk and I looked forward to seeing him every day.” “You have a star employee named Aaron on the front desk. He made our stay memorable in a very positive manner.” “Guest service rep Aaron Robinson, was attentive, kind and helpful at all times. He made us feel like welcomed guests.” “Aaron at the front desk is phenomenal! He makes you feel the hospitality that one should experience at a resort...” Aaron has the positive attitude that flows around the department. Every employee loves to talk to him as he brings smiles and laughter. Thank you, Aaron, for creating a healthy and happy working environment for us.

Saturday Briefing


Henry Rodrigues

Maintenance

Henry is currently the lead maintenance person at the OHANA Waikiki Malia Hotel (OMH). Henry started with Outrigger’s renovation department and remained there until it closed in the early 90s; he then transferred to the OMH Maintenance Department. Henry has always been a valuable team member. His personality, commitment and dedication make it easy for all departments to work with him. For example, last month during the graveyard shift, the building lost power, and Henry was called to come in. Within minutes, he arrived on property and stayed until the building’s power came on and everything was back to normal, which was close to 4 a.m. Henry went home for a few hours and reported back to work for his regular 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. shift. His commitment and dedication is truly an example of our value, Kuleana. We appreciate you, Henry! Mahalo!

Joshua Smith

Front Desk

Joshua consistently shows his ability to be a great Nā Mea Ho‘okipa in his day-to-day interaction with guests as well as fellow employees while currently working at the OHANA Waikiki East. Joshua comes to work with a positive attitude and ready to take on whatever is asked of him. Sometimes coming in 45 minutes to an hour earlier than scheduled, Joshua will immediately start looking at reports and what needs to be done prior to punching in. He treats everyone with Aloha and as ‘ohana and often receives great guest comments. During a recent guest incident Joshua sprang into action to assist the manager on duty by being up on the floor to keep the manager abreast of what was transpiring. The care for his Sense of Place was demonstrated when he helped keep the situation under control. His A‘o is evident in his willingness to take on the role as manager on duty and learn whatever is needed to do the job. His Kīnā‘ole is evident every time he comes to work.

Aleisha Stevenson

Food & Beverage

Aleisha is a role model for K īnā ‘ole while currently working at the Outrigger Sur fers Paradise. She consistently demonstrates initiative and going beyond her job description. She recently took oversight of the room service area improving team morale that was noticed by several management team members. Aleisha constantly displays an exceptional work ethic and staff look up to her as she has a great understanding of the Food & Beverage department. She is early for her shift and takes time to brief and prepare herself. She takes the initiative to write up briefings in loo of the manager or supervisor on duty. She goes about her tasks and duties, correctly the first time, as she ensures she is prepared and organized to exceed the customers’ needs first up! Additionally, Aleisha has been trained in areas that include Micros and close-down and set-up procedures of Déjà View Restaurant. These skills are more aligned to a team leader or supervisor’s job description and responsibility. Aleisha is now at a point where she can close and cashier off a shift the right way the first time!

Conrado Tagata

Housekeeping

Conrado currently works at the Holiday Inn® Waikiki Beachcomber Resort and is a good example of how our Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a values should be portrayed. He respects everyone and has a very good disposition. He’s approachable and easy to get along with. We can count on him when things need to be done right away. Conrado understands all his duties and carries them out responsibly and with accuracy. He is a team player who takes constructive criticism in a positive manner. Conrado is cooperative, dependable and willing to learn new things and share ideas. He takes directives well and strives to improve, is a self motivator and does not need supervision. With his dedication and determination, all things go smoothly during the grave shift hours.


Saturday Briefing


Desiree Valdez • Housekeeping

Desiree greets both her internal and external guests with a warm aloha and smile while currently working at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. She takes pride in her work, is respectful and takes ownership of the Outrigger experience. She is very flexible and dependable. Desiree treats her guests as her family while giving special attention to sick or physically challenged guests. She exemplifies the value of Kīnā‘ole in the quality of her work and habits. She constantly scores 94-100 percent on the Best Room Inspection. Her cart and supplies closet are always organized and replenished. She receives many good comments from her co-workers from the station that she has been assigned to. During the summer, OWK has no exception to hosting groups of “Young Kids,” and it requires a lot of patience and a great work ethic to deal with “unforeseen” situations. We are especially thankful for Desiree as she cleans up expertly after them.

Congratulations to all our nominees: Allan Sagucio, Cary Hirayama, Consolacion Gampong, Daniel Patrocinio Tee, Eva Bumagat, John Thompson, Josefina Rivera, Joycelyn Manzano, Julieto Boniel, Junko Austin, Katherine Tsuhako, Michael Cabusora, Nelson Vaquilar, Roy Beppu, Shun-Rye Lee, Steven Takasaki, Theresa Gonder and Xiaofeng Huang. Mahalo also to all those who took the time to write up nominations for our nominees and honorees.

Front: Joycelyn Manzano, Josefina Rivera, Desiree Valdez, Katherine Tsuhako, Lianne Bryant, Junko Austin and Theresa GonderMiddle: Tamio Alber, Allan Sagucio, Jeffrey Neimy, Zi Jing “Ken” Huang, Micah Kalama and Xiaofeng HuangBack: John Thompson, Conrado Tagata, Aaron Robinson, John Jay, Joshua Smith, Daniel Patrocinio Tee, Julieto Boniel, Henry Rodrigues Jr. and Roy BeppuMissing: Michael Cabusora, Shun-Rye Lee, Cary Hirayama, Steven Takasaki, Nelson Vaquilar, Eva Bumagat and Consolacion Gampon

Saturday Briefing

Suite Summer SensationBy the ESH Alaka‘i

The summer season is a perfect theme to celebrate our employees and splash into Paddle 1 – Celebrating Who We Are!

Alaka‘i created a beach-themed centerpiece with fruit, juice pouches and chips overflowing from a sand pail. Recycled swim rings “floated” from the ceiling added to the atmosphere. The anticipation of who would win this creative centerpiece became intense as the hour scaled down to minutes.

But first! Summer wouldn’t be summer without chicken, chili, lemonade and of course, delightfully delicious cupcakes!

General Manager Bob Yeoman shared encouraging and inspiring announcements such as Embassy Suites® - Waikiki Beach Walk® being awarded a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor for exceptional feedback earned from travelers over the past year. Team members continued to cheer as Bob announced that Embassy Suites® - Waikiki Beach Walk® was recently honored with the Travel & Leisure Award as one of the top 25 resorts in Hawai‘i. The room was filled to capacity and with smiles as 95 team members received Perfect Attendance awards for the Second Quarter. We are truly a family working together JOYFULLY to attain our goals and aspirations! Hoe! Hoe!

We were pleased to have as our special guests Charlene Goo, Kathy Oyadomari and three of our fellow Alaka‘i, Amante Castro, currently Alaka‘i for the OHANA Waikiki Malia; JoAnn Yonamine, currently Alaka‘i for the Outrigger Reef on the Beach; and Darnelle Zablan, currently Alaka‘i for the Holiday Inn® Waikiki Beachcomber Resort.

Because we all create a unique culture of diversity, the term “chop suey” came to mind, as Alaka‘i came up with our Paddle 1 activity - decorating a Chinese take-out box with answers to four questions: What is your name and why were you given your first name; what is your middle name; what is your favorite food; and how many brothers and sisters do you have. It was so engaging to learn that most were named after authors, actresses and grandparents. One employee was named after the street she lived on!

These distinctive take-out boxes will be strung up in the Employee Break Room so everyone will have the opportunity to learn more about each other and to celebrate who we are!

Screams of joy filled the room when ten team members found out they were going to take home the sand pail full of goodies. Yes, they could have grabbed the gift and dashed back to work; however, their generous hearts proved otherwise, as they shared their delicious prize with others - Now THAT is a Suite Summer Sensation! Karen Fong, Shao Bing Liang, Un Ha Zheng, Anna Lin, Sophia Luo and Jin Feng Han

Ida Gager, Cindy Guan, Bob Yeoman, Kan Miao Chee, Nu Yang Wei and Winnie Ho

Alaka‘i: Reuben Nakagawa, Amante Castro, Karen Mashiba, Darnell Zablan, Carol Lopes, JoAnn Yonamine, Marsha Kapu, Charlene Goo and Bob Yeoman

Saturday Briefing

in 1945, Hawai‘i’s economy wound down. By the time I left Hawai‘i to enter Stanford University in 1951, Waikīkī was enjoying a few visitors, some of whom stayed at Roy and Estelle Kelley’s new five-story walk-up hotel, The Islander, but the neighbor islands were losing population to O‘ahu, and it would be years before tourists “discovered” them. At Stanford, I found myself going to school with a large number of World War II veterans attending college thanks to the financial help of a federal program commonly known as the G.I. Bill. I was 17 years old, and in any class I might be seated between a guy who had landed on the beaches of Iwo Jima and another who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. One year, I lived in a barracks-style building on an old military base a few miles from the campus that also was headquarters for the fledgling Stanford Research Institute. The bright people who worked at SRI tried to convert scientific research into products and processes that might make people’s lives better in areas such as the biomedical sciences, chemistry, materials, earth and space systems, economic development, education, energy, the environment, security and national defense. At the same time I was at Stanford, across San Francisco Bay, a former U.S. Navy radar technician named Douglas Engelbart from Portland, Oregon, who had served in the Philippines, was getting his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, probably taking advantage of the G.I. Bill’s benefits. Shortly after graduation, Engelbart came to SRI. During his time there and later, when he worked at the nearby Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), he inspired the development of many of the functions of a computer that we take for granted today. It was a time when the early computers, such as the UNIVAC, were monsters, composed of thousands of vacuum tubes and miles of wiring, occupying large rooms, and needing to be fed stacks of punch cards with encoded information and data as their input. Yet, according to Time magazine, “Engelbart saw computers as a way for ordinary human beings to augment their intellect. Then he set about building the necessary tools to make that not just possible but easy.” Engelbart is generally given credit as the inventor of the computer control apparatus now known as a “mouse.” But he also spearheaded groundbreaking work on many other functions we take for granted today such as computer “windows,” hypertext, hyperlinks, graphical user interfaces (GUI), video conferencing and networking. On December 9, 1968, one year after the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel opened (with the assistance of a primitive NCR hotel

Computer Genius << From 1cash register/accounting machine), Engelbart demonstrated some of his new computer concepts to an amazed audience in San Francisco. They watched as he sat at a console on stage and used the mouse to alter text on screen. According to The Economist, “A grocery list came up; he added and deleted items, and rearranged it. In another text, he created hyperlinks, jumping to other documents. Most astonishing of all, Bill Paxton at Menlo Park, 30 miles away, appeared beside him on the screen and they moved the text around together.” Today, 45 years later, we are all doing this and far, far more on computer mainframes, desktop computers, tablets and smartphones 24 hours a day. Yet, this may be the first time most of us know whom to thank for an important part of the technology involved. Engelbart never focused on making a lot of money from his work. SRI held a patent on the mouse, and Engelbart received no royalties for its invention. According to writer Andrew Maisel, the mouse patent was licensed to Apple for “something like $40,000.” The Doug Engelbart Institute in Menlo Park, Calif. (www.dougengelbart.org), is carrying on his history and research, with his daughter, Christina Engelbart, serving as its executive director. Stanford University notes that Engelbart was honored with many prestigious awards over his career, including the Lemelson-MIT Prize, the most lucrative award for American inventors. He also received the National Medal of Technology from former President Bill Clinton “for creating the foundations of personal computing.” Engelbart’s death in Atherton, Calif., on July 2 at age 88 was related to kidney failure and a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. I am saddened by Doug Engelbart’s death, much as I was by the loss of Apple Computer founder and driving force Steve Jobs on October 5, 2011. At times like this, I wonder if people like Doug Engelbart and Steve Jobs are dying off faster than they are being replaced by following generations. Are there similar leaders, inventors and entrepreneurs out there? What is our nation doing to provide the very, very best educational opportunities for young men and women, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)? Sadly, the answer to the second question is, “Nowhere near enough!” The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation (http://broadeducation.org) and many other sources report the state of education in the United States is declining, disappointing and embarrassing. Our country now ranks 17th in a group of 50 industrialized nations, behind Finland, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, UK, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Australia, Poland, Germany and Belgium, as reported this week by International Business Times (http://tinyurl.com/apvarwc). It’s worth thinking about that and asking yourself what you can do to help reverse this situation and pave the way for new men and women with the skills, dedication and work ethic of Doug Engelbart, Steve Jobs and the many others who have brought us to where we are today. At the very least, I believe, we should all take an interest in the quality of education being offered by the public schools in our communities, and we should speak up and speak out if we find it disappointing, as it has long been here in Hawai‘i.

Engelbart’s handmade computer “mouse”

a message from richard r. kelley to our outrigger...

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