By Ruthann Yamanaka

People are the reason for the success of any business, and Outrigger is no exception. The Po‘okela Excellence in Leadership Awards are an opportunity to express heartfelt thanks and appreciation to employees whose accomplishments in a particular year were simply extraordinary.

On March 3, Outrigger honored employees in the following categories for 2009:

• Chairman’s Award
• Excellence in Demonstrating the Values of Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a
• Exceptional Achievement by an Individual
• Exceptional Achievement by a Team

Individual business units submitted nominations, and the honorees were selected by Outrigger’s Executive Team. Fourteen employees were honored for Excellence in Demonstrating Outrigger’s Values of Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a, three managers were honored for their Exceptional Achievement in 2009, and four teams were honored for their Exceptional Achievement in 2009.

Congratulations to the following nominees and honorees for their exemplary accomplishments in 2009! Following are excerpts from the nominations received for the honorees:

Bill Peters, 2009 Chairman’s Award
(Dr. Richard Kelley loves to personally present the Chairman’s Award. The name of the honoree is a closely-guarded secret that is not revealed until he or she is called to the stage. Dr. Kelley added a little extra drama and Hollywood to this year’s ceremony to bring some extra excitement to the moment when the honoree’s name is called. Here’s what he said.)

At Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, the Chairman’s Award is a great 22-year-old tradition dating back to 1988. It is reserved for a member of our senior executive team who has distinguished him or herself through exceptional contributions to the success of our company.

Our past honorees are some of the finest people I have known in my life. Every one of them has been an individual whose actions and results exemplify The Outrigger Way. These include our very first awardee, Fran Kirk, followed by Tom Burke, Bill Sthay, Michael Devich, Joe Durocher, Perry Sorenson, Mel Wilinsky, Mel Kaneshige, Barry Wallace, Max Sword, Dorsey Brady, Alan White, Barbara Campbell, Chuck Shishido, and last year’s winner, Danny Ojiri.

If today was not Wednesday, March 3, in Honolulu, but Sunday, March 7, in Hollywood, you might be sitting in the Kodak Theater watching the presentation of the Oscars at the Academy Awards. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin or other celebrities would be on stage asking for “the envelope, please.” All night, beautiful starlets would come forth with the names of the winners.

Actually, I thought of inviting Steve Martin to make our Chairman’s Award presentation this year. He, like me, has gray hair, but the comparison really ends there.

So, I suggested that our CEO, David Carey, invite Oscar Co-Host Alec Baldwin to present our awards. Like any good executive, David delegated the matter to our CFO, Mel Wilinsky. Mel made a few calls and announced that Baldwin’s demand for 30 beachfront hotel suites, plus transportation of himself, his family, and his staff to Honolulu in a fleet of Gulfstream G650 jets was not in our 2010 budget!

So, you are stuck with me, but you do also get my lovely wife Linda V.G. Kelley, who is sitting at a table in the front row. “Linda, may I have the envelope, please?”

At that point, Linda handed me an official-looking envelope. I opened it and withdrew a card with feigned surprise, saying …

I am very, very happy to announce that the winner of the Chairman’s Award for 2009 is our Vice President – Reservations Services, Mr. Bill Peters!

Please let me tell you a little about Bill. He joined Outrigger over 11 years ago, on February 8, 1999, and came with a great deal of experience.

Early in his career, he was the General Manager at a Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge in Braintree, Massachusetts, a little town south of Boston. I mention this because I once lived nearby in South Braintree. During those years, my children Kathy Carey, Dr. Chuck Kelley, and Linda Jane Kelley were born, while I was attending medical school in Boston.

Bill has also worked for industry leaders such as Four Seasons, Loews, and Americana.

He was employed by the Helmsley Hotel Group in New York City. Buy Bill a couple of drinks and maybe he will share with you a few fun stories about working for the well-known Leona Helmsley and her dog named “Trouble!”

He was also Rooms Manager at the Playboy Resort in McAfee, New Jersey. Now, that would be interesting to talk about!

At Outrigger, Bill did not find dogs or bunnies, but a dynamic, growing company. When he arrived, our reservations system worked, but Bill has been instrumental in making it much, much better, more efficient, and user-friendly for both employees and customers.

Today, our reservations system is not only state-of-the-art, but a leader in the industry. Using Voice over Internet Protocol technology, we have been able to have almost all of our reservations agents in Colorado operate from their homes. There are countless advantages to this, including employee time, gas, and safety, particularly during the winter months.

Last year, Bill closed the large call center we had used for almost two decades. We now have a small office for training located in the Denver suburbs. Our computer servers were moved into a new, secure data center.

It took great leadership to manage this conversion. The job was completed and the new system turned on, effective October 1, 2009, with all critical connections up and operating perfectly – on time and within budget!

Since his arrival at Outrigger, Bill has overseen many changes, but he has always acted in harmony with our mission and flawlessly made the needed improvements. In this case, our new reservations equipment and software is helping us accomplish our mission of being the leisure hospitality company of choice. It is also providing our employees an opportunity to be their best, giving our guests distinctive hospitality and value, and helping provide the results promised to our investors.

As Outrigger continues to grow and expand, we know we can count on Bill Peters and his talented team to keep us pointed in the right direction and to provide the “best in class” reservations experience in our industry!

Congratulations, Bill, I am proud to present you the Chairman’s Award for 2009.

Kathy Foley, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Kīnā‘ole (Flawlessness)
2009 proved to be a year filled with economic challenges for Outrigger, one that resulted in staffing adjustments throughout the company, including the mailroom. Without hesitation, Kathy assisted in keeping the mail circulating without fail, on top of her normal duties. Kathy also volunteered to be the Co-Chair of the Outrigger Hotels Hawaii Political Action Committee (OHHPAC), and her efforts have made a tremendous difference. Kathy’s diligent efforts have resulted in a dramatic increase in OHHPAC membership, the reintroduction of a full-color OHHPAC newsletter, and a renewed core leadership group, including Kathy. No matter how small or large the task, Kathy consistently goes far beyond, with a professional and positive attitude, to complete all tasks with Kīnā‘ole. Kathy has never been heard to say a negative word about anyone or anything. Kathy is an excellent example of our value of Kīnā‘ole.

Jason Kemper, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Kīnā‘ole (Flawlessness)
Jason Kemper displayed Outrigger’s value of Kīnā‘ole during OMI’s (Outrigger’s Denver Reservations Center’s) recent move to a virtual office in September of 2009. Not only did Jason display the utmost professionalism, but he also facilitated the transition successfully and smoothly. First, he identified a secure and cost-effective data center for OMI’s servers and routers, as well as a data back-up provider. Then, he worked with telecommunications providers and Echopass to ensure all lines were appropriately set-up at the data center by the deadline. Finally, Jason facilitated the final project of the cutover with all service providers and Corporate I.T. As a result, the transition was seamless, and there was no down time for the reservations center. Congratulations to Jason for doing such an amazing job on such an important transition for the company!

Tamarisi Ratulevu, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Kīnā‘ole (Flawlessness)
Tamarisi began her career as an F&B Attendant at the Outrigger on the Lagoon-Fiji in 2001. For several years, she honed her attention to detail and became renowned for offering the best service for her guests. In 2007, her dedication and the respect from her peers afforded Tamarisi the opportunity to become a Team Leader. Less than six months later, she was promoted to F&B Supervisor, where she was a powerful force in the transformation of the Baravi Restaurant and Bar, which underwent major renovation in 2009. Tamarisi’s flawlessness inspired the team to provide a refined dining experience. The stunning financial and service results achieved by the team are a direct result of Tamarisi’s hard work. Customer service ratings increased from 60 percent to 90 percent since the renovation. Tamarisi continues to refuse to accept complacency but does so in a way that truly inspires her team to strive for success.

Peggy Chasteen, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Equality (Kaulike)
Peggy’s expertise and knowledge is exceptional. It is because of Peggy that the OHANA Waikiki Malia renovation was completed on time and with minimal problems. A short time after the project began, Peggy became responsible for the entire project. Peggy’s great personality and ability to work with everyone, from the Malia employees and the contractors, to her own personal staff, and of course, the Malia owners, are what made the renovation project at the Malia run so smoothly. Any problems that arose were handled promptly and efficiently. She smoothed over rough edges, while complimenting, all who are involved. For taking over a project on a moment’s notice, Peggy succeeded in producing a beautiful, high-quality product of which we are all very proud.

Paul Horner, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Equality (Kaulike)
In 2009, in addition to serving as the General Manager at Keauhou Beach Resort (KBR), Paul worked diligently with the owners on refining the vision for the property. Paul’s style represents a sustainable leader who is committed to building lasting partnerships, while respecting various voices. He is knowledgeable, dares to take calculated risks, and is savvy and honest in his feedback. Paul embraced the owners’ vision that celebrates the Hawaiian culture, while creating educational programming for the community, school children, and visitors to the island. Paul also inspired his management staff to achieve their highest potential. In a down economy and with all of Hawaii Islands suffering in 2009, KBR beat out their competitive set. RevPar for the year was a 22 percent improvement over 2008. It is Paul’s commitment to fostering open relationships based on honesty, trust, and fairness that has helped him gain the respect of his employees, peers, supervisors, community, and owners.

George Guerrero, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of A‘o (To Learn and to Share)
Without a doubt, George Guerrero, better known as “Chef Rey,” was OHANA Bayview Guam’s shining star in 2009! While searching for a new Restaurant Manager and facing an economic downturn, Chef Rey made a bold and risky move –to learn and run both front and back of the restaurant, which also includes banquet sales and catering. He immediately worked tirelessly to learn the front-of-the-house operations. At the same time, he focused on mentoring and preparing his kitchen team for promotional opportunities. Chef Rey was key to implementing the new F&B Point of Sales system. He immersed himself in learning the new system, then trained his staff. Chef Rey is a lifelong learner, has a passion for cuisine, and strives to be the best he can be. His relentless involvement in the restaurant resulted in improved communication and amazing cost savings. Undeniably, Chef Rey, known now as “Iron Chef Rey,” epitomizes the value of Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a.

Imi Peterson, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of A‘o (To Learn and to Share)
“Imi to the rescue” was the theme for 2009 in the Outrigger Reef on the Beach (ORF) Accounting office. When Kani Ka Pila Grille (KKPG) opened, the ORF Accounting team, who had no previous experience in F&B accounting, faced many new challenges. Without hesitation, Imi came to the rescue to Honolulu, working nearly all day and all night for three days straight to record all the monthly F&B entries for KKPG, so ORF could close the month of March accurately and on time. She also modified the Keauhou templates to fit ORF’s F&B transactions. Imi then rushed back to Keauhou to close its books, returning to ORF the following month to further train and to work with Night Audit. With her leadership, expertise, and continuous coaching, Imi amazed everyone with her energy, strength, attitude, and determination.

Teresa Morrison, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Na Mea Ho‘okipa (Hosts)
Teresa always meets her job as a Security Officer at Kiahuna Plantation with enthusiasm and graciousness. On a recent rainy Kauai night, a very elderly couple arrived at 11 p.m. for a week’s stay after driving for nearly two hours. The Front Desk called Teresa to assist them to their condo. The couple were both diabetic and needed food, yet restaurants and grocery stores were closed. Teresa invited them to her home, where she prepared food, gave them additional snacks to hold them until morning, and then took them back to their condo. No one knew about this until the next morning, when the guests told everyone how very grateful they were for Teresa and her kindness. They saw her as a living example of the ultimate “Good Samaritan.” Congratulations, Teresa!

Teresa Shepherd, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of ‘Ohana (Family)
Every ‘ohana has someone that represents a “mother” figure, a nurturer, a disciplinarian, a motivator. At ORF, this person is Teresa Shepherd. Her attention to detail and drive to have accurate and timely information helps ORF to be a stronger team. Just when you think she’s a hard-nosed accountant pushing numbers, she shows yet another side of her. Teresa will spontaneously dance hula at Kani Ka Pila Grille or jump in to host when it’s busy, just because she happened to be there and customers were waiting. Teresa is always there to help. For example, she stayed until 10:30 one night, after a full day’s work, to help submit the month-end inventory count on time. She may be behind-the-scenes, but her efforts do not go unnoticed. Her dedication to the entire team motivates all to strive for accurate financial information together with top-level guest service.

Charlene Luning, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Wahi (Place)
In 2009, Char handled a variety of tasks to honor our  “place” in Waikiki, to create a positive work environment, and to help our community. Char served as the lead contact for the Aloha United Way campaign at Outrigger; served as co-chair for Outrigger’s participation in the Visitor Industry Charity Walk; and administered the Holiday Celebration for Waikiki properties. Char handled each responsibility with diplomacy and professionalism. Char is also passionate about the Hawaiian culture and volunteered to spearhead the lei-making event for the first Company Services May Day festivities. She even taught a Company Services group to dance the May Day Hula. As assistant editor for OHANA Hou, Char coordinates the collecting, captioning, and cataloging of all photos received. And Char does all this on top of her regular duties as an Executive Assistant. Thank you, Char, for all you do!

Jo-Ann Yonamine, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Wahi (Place)
Jo-Ann is an Alaka‘i at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach (ORF) and understands and lives the value of Wahi. In 2009, Jo-Ann initiated two major recycling programs at ORF. First, she started the guest room bottle and can recycling program. She met with other properties, with a local non-profit agency, and Reynolds Recycling. She arranged for the non-profit group to speak to the Housekeepers about the program and developed and coordinated collection and pick-up procedures. She motivates Housekeepers to collect recyclables by sharing monthly charts showing their progress. Jo-Ann then initiated a recycling program for beach items (rafts, tubes, beach mats), similar to the Outrigger Waikiki. She recently showed the beach bag that was made from the recycled items to motivate the Housekeepers to continue to recycle. Jo-Ann, your respect of our “place” is admirable — mahalo for caring!

Bronwyn Marshall, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Kuleana (Accountability)
Bronwyn lives this value in all that she does as Controller for the Australian operations.  Bronwyn trains the department heads at the properties to ensure they have the knowledge, skills and ability to accept financial Kuleana for their departments, and trains our managers on the budget process. Bronwyn implemented standards for owner accounting at Outrigger Twin Towns which has decreased owner concerns.  It has also helped implement “fair share occupancy distribution”, which has further reduced owner concerns and actually instilled confidence in our operation, which is resulting in more units joining the rental program.  Bronwyn has also prepared financial proformas for current possibilities, on top of her normal duties.  Not bad when you consider she is a team of ONE. Bronwyn is a truly a leader that leads by example.

Tino Geronimo, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Kuleana (Accountability)
From Day one of joining the ORF Bell Department, Tino epitomized Kuleana.  He arrived at 5am to meet the graveyard team. He stayed late that day so he could meet all his staff.  This sense of caring responsibility hasn’t stopped. Many weeks he is at the hotel seven days a week. Tino is constantly on the floor, pulling and delivering bags yet refuses to participate in the tips. Two bellmen expressed concern because they knew they were making more than Tino.  He was the best thing that ever happened to their department, and they were worried that Tino might leave. The LTG scores for the Bell Department show Tino’s effectiveness. Under his leadership, the department has consistently achieved scores of 9.8, and hit an astonishing 9.9 one month. Tino’s humility and caring attitude are inspirations for all.

Johnny Miyashita, Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a Value of Aloha (Love)
Johnny embodies Aloha.  He received many for commendation letters in 2009 for his guest service.  Recently, Johnny received the Concierge Award for the month and fell two points shy of earning Concierge of the Year for 2009.  He is the only bell person in the Hospitality business to be awarded this title. In November, a team member lost a diamond from her wedding ring. After retracing her steps multiple times that day, she left thinking the diamond was gone forever. While Johnny was working that night, he also kept his eye out…and found the diamond in the stairwell behind a door. He could have pocketed the diamond and no one would ever know. Without hesitation, though, he took it to the manager to call the employee know the great news. Johnny made a horrible day for a fellow team member a great one and in the process earned the respect of all who heard of his honesty and true character.  We are proud of you, Johnny.

Alan Naito, Exceptional Achievement by an Individual
Alan Naito started the recycling program for the OHANA Waikiki East Hotel back in 2008.  It was modeled after a program that Jim Heather implemented at the Outrigger Waikiki back in 2006. Since then, he has spearheaded OHANA’s recycling effort and was responsible for getting all Waikiki OHANAs on the program by the 1st quarter of 2009. In addition, he has assisted the Embassy Suites, Outrigger Reef, and Luana Waikiki with starting their own recycling programs. In 2009 alone, Outrigger’s efforts have resulted in over 14 tons of recyclable material being kept out of our landfills. Proceeds from this effort, over $15,000 in 2009, were donated to P.A.C.T., Parents And Children Together, which is one of Hawaii’s leading private non-profit family service agencies and is a leader in the design and delivery of a broad range of innovative social and educational services. Reynolds Recycling created its Annual Green Leaders Award in 2009 and OEG was the first recipient of this award. Alan’s efforts throughout 2009 were a significant factor in Outrigger receiving this award.

Janice Ng, Exceptional Achievement by an Individual
Janice was promoted to Executive Housekeeper at the OHANA Waikiki West Hotel in October of 2008.   Since her arrival, she has re-established the housekeeping’s service standards and implemented effective training. Her hands-on approach and positive attitude permeates the entire hotel, not just the housekeeping department. Leisure Trend scores have improved.  Guests are happier which motives our housekeepers to work even harder. Each department shares in the pride that Janice has instilled. She is an active participant in the Ke ‘Ano Wa’a process, and always encourages her staff to participate. Janice encounters her many challenges and obstacles with enthusiasm, optimism and a sense of humor. Our weekly manager’s meetings have brought the team closer and stronger, and ready to take on any task. She has earned the trust and respect of everyone at the OHANA Waikiki West and we are so proud she is part of our team.

Pieter Van Der Hoeven, Exceptional Achievement by an Individual
Pieter was the pre-opening GM of the first two Outrigger branded properties in Asia, the Outrigger Serenity Terraces which opened April 1, 2009, and the Outrigger Laguna Resort and Villas which opened December 1, 2009). Effectively, Pieter opened two properties in 9 months! Pieter also lead the implementation of our defined standards here in Asia which included training and our Asian version of Ke ‘Ano Wa’a, Mittrapab. He has been able to establish a key team of local management who has all demonstrated a high level of competence. Pieter has effectively established and implemented our Sales and Marketing strategies and network throughout the region and beyond, and has been responsible for the successful positioning of the Outrigger branded properties in Asia. While managing the pre-opening phases of two properties, Pieter also represented the Outrigger brand at various sales trade shows and sales calls around Asia, most notably ITB Asia, ATF and sales calls to Hong Kong and Japan. Outrigger’s success to date in Asia is largely due to Pieter’s unwavering dedication, experience, and honest hard work.

Courtyard by Marriott Management Team, Exceptional Achievement by a Team
As the saying goes, “Change is good”, and the hotel conversion was good indeed. With only weeks to prepare, the days were filled with training on new systems, achieving certifications, installing new safety equipment and learning new standards and procedures…all while operating a fully functional 400+ room hotel.   Being wonderful hosts, Front Office management eased guests through false alarms and construction noise, notified recurring and future guests of the change, and familiarized themselves with new guests by understanding Marriott’s Reward Program.  Like clockwork, the Housekeeping Department would be right behind contractors and maintenance so that guest rooms would be spotless. The Sales Team oversaw the announcement of our exciting new product to website visitors and travel agents via e-blasts, updated websites and collateral material, and sales conducted site inspections with FAMs promoting the hotel as Courtyard Marriott prior to the actual conversion date. One of many projects also required involved manually inputting 3,000+ reservations from Stellex into another “language” one week before the conversion date. Through the efforts of the Management Team, Courtyard provided guests with outstanding hospitality, obtained financial success and improved employee relations.  Courtyard Waikiki Beach truly achieved something exceptional in 2009!

Hawaii and Denver Information Technology Team, Exceptional Achievement by a Team
It all took place in the late hours of September 29, 2009 into the early hours of September 30th.  Outrigger Marketing Inc’s computer servers had to be relocated to a new data center.  Vacating the total space at the old call center in Denver took a team effort to move our servers and electronic connections to the new data center. Moving the computer hardware and re-installing all the servers in the new ViaWest cabinet was the easy part.  The most difficult part was coordinating the installation of the virtual private network connection.  All consumer calls continued to be answered and processed during this down time.  Wholesale agents working from home could also continue to process all incoming rooming lists. By the evening of October 1st, all critical connections were back up and operating perfectly.  Having the right backup procedures in place kept us up and taking reservations during this whole process. Without their expertise and talents this move could not have happened as well as it did.

Human Resources ‘The Kapalua Villas’ Transition Team, Exceptional Achievement by a Team
The Human Resources transition was the largest and most challenging of the dozen or so major aspects of the Kapalua Villas transition into Outrigger management. This transition involved transferring approximately 65 employees from one employer to Outrigger. The HR team’s work involved many tasks that had to be executed in the correct sequence in a caring and professional manner. With short notice, the key activities were planned and executed in a two-month process. It was always clear to everyone involved that the HR team was accomplishing the tasks with a high level of professionalism and would meet all conversion deadlines, which enabled others to focus their attention on the many other aspects of the resort transition. The Kapalua employees expressed appreciation for the caring and respectful treatment they received from Outrigger. They felt genuinely welcomed by the warm Outrigger embrace provided by the Outrigger HR Kapalua transition team!

Information Technology PC Services Team, Exceptional Achievement by a Team
2009 was especially one for Information Technology PC Services Team with three unusual conversion projects: the Courtyard by Marriott, the Best Western Plaza Hotel, and the Kapalua Villas network integration. Two conversions required removing Stellex and installing brand-mandated property-based PMS systems. The third project required taking over a property-based PMS system and bringing it and the hotel operating staff workstations inside the Outrigger network. The PC Services Team enthusiastically embraced the challenges and worked out excellent solutions at all three properties.  In all three of these projects, the IT PC Services team expanded their capabilities.  They proved the IT Department and the Outrigger computer network can and will support the wide range of systems required for the hotels to provide Outrigger hospitality regardless of the brand or PMS system that supports the hotels.  The Outrigger PC Services Team is an impressive asset for our company and a competitive advantage to Outrigger in the market of hospitality management. Mahalo for three jobs well done!