Alumni Profile
Ren Hirose: A Passion for Excellence
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After an hour with Ren Hirose at the chic W Honolulu Hotel, you begin
to understand why, at a very young age, he�s risen to become the General
Manager of Starwood�s star brand: the W Hotel. Ren Hirose illustrates a
path of success that the TIM School is proud to see its graduates tread.
The
level of success achieved by Ren in his still budding career, however,
is not the most inspiring aspect of his evolving tale. Rather, it is the
focus, dedication, hard work, passion, and value he places on teamwork,
which makes him a source of inspiration for his fellow workers as well
as students.
Ren loves his work. �For me, every
day is a different day,� explains Ren. �It�s hard to plan a day,�
which is precisely what he enjoys about his job as the W Honolulu�s General
Manager.
Hours are filled with meetings, sometimes up to eight hours a day, and
he is bombarded with up to 30-40 e-mail messages daily. Such a demanding
schedule requires hard work and relentless determination, but it also requires
passion - an |
Ren Hirose
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element Ren has in spades.
Upon his graduation from the TIM School in 1985, Ren didn�t envision
himself where he finds himself today. It was his passion that guided him
- not a
specific goal - even when the exact location of his journey was unknown.
What Ren did know was this: he wanted to take on challenges; he wanted
to take advantage of any and every learning experience and opportunity
that came his way, and in so doing, he wanted to maintain a positive and
ethical attitude.
Ren began his journey to the top job at the W by completing valuable
internships at well established Sheraton Hotels around the State. He spent
the summer after his freshman year at TIM interning on his home island
of Maui as the �Junior Social Host� at the Sheraton Maui. TIM alum Ernie
Nishizaki took an interest in the enthusiastic young man from Maui and
passed on positive reports about him. He completed three more succeeding
internships at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider and the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani,
and the Waialae Country Club.
He landed his first full-time position after graduation with the Sheraton
Royal Waikoloa Hotel Reservations. He was hired as a management trainee,
where he quickly rose to the positions of Reservations Manager and then
to Reservations Assistant Front Office Manager. Ren moved on to take positions
at the Sheraton Makaha Resort and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, but it was
the opportunity he was offered at the Sheraton at Fisherman�s Wharf in
San Francisco that first truly tested, and then proved his creativity,
determination, and business acumen.
When Ren signed on at the Sheraton at Fisherman�s Wharf, the hotel was
losing revenue and clientele. The hotel had failed to meet its budget
for the past five to ten years. Thus, the Sheraton decided to bring in
a new managing team and to put $5 million into renovations. Ren was second
in command, as the team succeeded in averting an employee strike and improved
guest satisfaction scores.
He was ready for the next challenge: the Orchid Mauna Lani Hotel, which
Sheraton had taken over from the Ritz Carlton. Again, he worked on a team
that turned around an under-performing hotel. They talked to guests and
employees for input, then recommended significant changes in décor
and services, resulting in successful results once again for the hotel.
In 1999, the owner of the Orchid asked Ren to convert their Colony Surf
Hotel into the W Honolulu.
Now, as the General Manager of the W Honolulu Hotel, Ren uses all that
he�s learned to provide his guests with the unique W Honolulu experience
of modern convenience and style tailored to the sophisticated business
and leisure traveler.
He does not underestimate the value and necessity of teamwork. Ren encourages
people to work with colleagues, knowing how vital it is to build good surrounding
networks, instead of trying to prove themselves independently. �If you�re
not a team player, others won�t want to help you,� says Ren, �and you�re
likely to find yourself alienated.� He also feels that working under a
mentor is valuable, as he or she offers guidance and a source off which
one can bounce ideas. His mentor was Ernest Nishizaki, a TIM Alumnus, and
General Manager of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
Finally, Ren believes that the skills he developed and honed as a part
of the TIM community helped him to achieve the level of confidence and
problem-solving skills he exhibits today. His professors challenged him
and made him think beyond the obvious. He also feels that being a part
of TIM provided him with necessary contacts and a credible name behind
which he could stand, before he was given the opportunity to create a name
for himself. Perhaps such belief in the foundation he built for himself
at the TIM School has led Ren to his alumni organization, TIM International
Inc. He is as passionate about the alumni organization as he is about his
professional career.
Ren is without doubt a unique individual, much like the image the W
Honolulu Hotel portrays.
TIM School Commissioned to Update
PATA History
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For half a century, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has served
as the voice of tourism in Asia. Founded in Hawai�i in 1952, PATA now
encompasses 2,200 worldwide travel industry organizations representing
both the private sector and governments. To commemorate PATA�s 50 th
anniversary, the TIM School has been commissioned to prepare a second edition
of the history of the organization. Originally written by the TIM School
to celebrate PATA�s 40 th anniversary, The Story of TIM School Commissioned
to Update PATA History PATA will be updated to provide an account of five
decades of tourism development in the Pacific Asia region and the growth
of PATA as the leading regional tourism organization in the world.
Co-editors for the project are Dean Emeritus Chuck Gee, who is a PATA
Life member and currently chair of PATA�s education development and certification
committee, and Matt Lurie of Australia, who is also a PATA Life member.
Since April of this year, Gee and Lurie have been working with TIM school
faculty George Ikeda and Russell Uyeno conducting surveys and interviews
with key PATA officers, members, and staff to identify the major issues
to be covered in the history update. They were assisted by TIM research
assistant Suzanne Kirio and graduate student Julia Yim who researched PATA�s
records and proceedings for the past decade to ensure a comprehensive and
accurate chronology of events.
According to TIM�s Director of Research and Training George Ikeda, �The
accomplishments of PATA in helping tourism development in Hawai�i and the
region are pretty well known in the industry. But PATA has been more than
a tourism marketing organization. It helped found the School of TIM at
UH and has co-sponsored TIM�s highly successful Executive Development Institute
for Tourism since its inception in 1979. We owe a lot to PATA.� The writing
of the history is funded by a special $25,000 grant from former Ambassador
L. W. �Bill� Lane, Jr. who specifically requested that TIM School work
on both the first and second editions of the book. The revised history
will be published in time for distribution at the 50 th annual convention
in April 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
School Moves Forward With
Technology
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Tourism and information technology (IT), two very vibrant and important
industries, are both critical industries for Hawai�i.The School of Travel
Industry Management (TIM) is expanding its research, teaching and service
activities in the area of information and communications technology, e-commerce
and tourism.
The School�s tourism and IT resources and expertise are being tapped
both here in Hawai�i and internationally. It is working with the World
Tourism Organization to develop a standardized international curriculum
in Tourism Information Technology, which will be offered globally in institutions
of higher learning and in executive seminar format. Interim Dean Pauline
Sheldon, who wrote the first book on the topic, will be chairing the Research
Program of the international ENTER Conference on IT and Tourism to be held
in April in Montreal, Canada (www.enter2001.org).
Locally, TIM faculty are working with the Hawai�i Tourism Authority
IT Facilitation Committee to increase the level of IT in Hawai�i�s tourism
industry to better serve our visitors. Graduate students are actively researching
IT topics such as applications of smart card technology in the travel industry
and design of tourism web sites.
Plans for the Gee Technology Learning Center at the School are well
underway under the direction of Dr. Mark Hukill. The Center will house
an executive video-conferencing center and a multi-media classroom, both
of which will be the hub of the School�s new Distance Learning initiative.
Plans for distance on-line courses also are well underway. Dr. Dana Tesone
offered the first fully on-line course in the spring, which was well-received
by students and is serving as a model for future developments.
Many other TIM School professors have added web-enhancements to their
courses and the design of more completely on-line courses is underway.
The School plans to begin a Distance Education Program with an on-line
post-graduate certificate program in Travel Industry Management in the
near future.
Professor John R. Cox
Honored With Prestigous Presidential Teaching Award
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The TIM School�s own Professor John
Cox was bestowed with high honors in September. He became a recipient of
the University of Hawai�i�s Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching
award. The award recognizes faculty members who have made significant contributions
to teaching and student learning.
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Professor John Cox with
Miss Hawai�i 1999 Meijide Gentry
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A presentation ceremony took place at Kennedy Theater followed by a lunch
reception in the Campus Center Ballroom. Professor Cox celebrated his accomplishment
surrounded by family, friends, TIM faculty, staff and alumni such as Paul
Tang, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Ernest Nishizaki, General
Manager of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Candes Meijide Gentry, Miss Hawai�I
1999. Professor Cox has been described as �a maverick teacher.�
He believes that TIM graduates must have the ability to write, speak,
reason, and relate to others in a satisfactory manner to hold down a job.
Cox has continued to hold high standards in his classes. He takes a personal
responsibility to ensure his graduates are ready to embark on successful
careers. Mahalo Professor Cox for all your time, hard work and dedication
to the TIM School!
Sustainable Tourism
Program Receives
Two New Grants
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The TIM School continues to expand its capacity of providing research
and service to the tourism industry, local government and community and
special interest organizations. TIM faculty are reaching out within the
University and the larger community to work on applied research projects
which address the relationship between tourism and the environment. In
Spring 2001, a group of faculty and students from TIM, Architecture, and
possibly Botany will work on management strategies to preserve and respect
the ecological, social and cultural resources of the Saddle Highway on
the Big Island. Another group of students will identify how signage in
high use areas such as the Diamond Head State Monument, Hanauma Bay Marine
Park and the Manoa Cliffs Trail affects visitor behavior. Yet another group
of students will develop a plan for small alternative health oriented businesses
to offer services to visitors.
Projects often require a multi-disciplinary or entrepreneurial approach
to address the complexity of issues arising from tourism related efforts.
These projects and additional applied research efforts will be funded in
part by a $409,000 grant to fund research and service through STEP-UP (Sustainable
Tourism and the Environment Program-University Partnerships). Private businesses,
government agencies, and other industry related organizations are invited
to identify needed research and service opportunities related to sustainable
tourism development through this program. Projects may include:
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Market Research
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Visitor Education Programs
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Resource Management Plans
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Visitor Recreation & Wellness Programs
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Needs Assessments
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Policy Analysis
TIM received the $409,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education Fund
for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education to develop an innovative
and self-sustaining program integrating research and service. Both public
and private donors will provide a match for project costs. This match is
intended to sustain the program to extend research and service opportunities
over time. A portion of the grant monies will be used to facilitate communication
between business, government and non-governmental organizations, faculty
and students. Internet access to list and view projects will be developed.
More recently, TIM also received a $44,000 grant from the School of
Ocean and Earth Science and Technology�s Sea Grant Program for coastal
and marine recreation sustainability. Dr. Sam Lankford is the lead researcher
on both of these grants.
STEP was established in response to the growing recognition of the relationship
between tourism development and environmental quality through a generous
gift of $500,000 from Bill & Jean Lane for the�Ambassador L.W. �Bill�
Lane Lectureship in Sustainable Tourism and the Environment.� The mission
of STEP is �to promote tourism policy in Hawai�i which supports beneficial
social, cultural and environmental relationships in the tourism development
process and facilitates the use of sustainable practices within the existing
tourism industry.� STEP is organized to provide research, training and
education. STEP-UP is about making a connection between the educational
experience of students and the research and service needs of Hawai�i�s
communities. Through faculty guided student research, the program can address
a variety of needs such as grant writing assistance for agencies and organizations,
training and specialized instruction, research and specialized planning,
and marketing services.
In addition to writing and managing grant projects, STEP-UP has assisted
the TIM School in expanding the curriculum in sustainable tourism. Currently,
a new course is being offered and a certificate program is being developed.
STEP-UP helps students work with the community and cultivate new approaches
to issues related to tourism and the environment. For more information
about the STEP-UP program and the Lane Lecture Series, please contact Jill
Lankford at 956- 8025. |