Meet TIM alumni who have ventured into professions/careers outside of travel/hospitality and transportation operations to pursue more resilient professions amid the shut down of tourism through the pandemic. More information coming soon. 

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AGENDA:

• Welcome
• General Session 
• Breakout Room 1 
• General Session Q&A
• Breakout Room 2
• Closing Remarks

Questions for our panelists may be submitted through our registration form.

MEET THE PANELISTS

Mark Tsuda, BBA ‘85, is the executive director at ‘Ilima at Leihano Senior Living in Kapolei, where he oversees a 40-acre, resort-style community with nearly 200 residents and employees. Born on O‘ahu, Tsuda spent some of his formative years in Guam then moved back to Hawai‘i for high school and attended UH Mānoa, to pursue his degree in Travel Industry Management. He has worked in various hospitality management positions in Hawai‘i and Guam, as well as within corporate positions overseeing hotel spa operations in North America, Hawai‘i, Micronesia, Japan, the Caribbean, Fiji and French Polynesia. Tsuda is a current member of the leadership and advocacy committees for the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and has formerly held executive board seats with the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation for the State of Hawaii, the Hawaii Employers Council, as well as the Guam Chamber of Commerce.

Frank Among, BBA ‘84, is the director of sales and marketing at Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve, one of Hawai‘i’s premier visitor attractions. After graduating from the UH Mānoa TIM program, he was fortunate to get a position with American Airlines in Hawai‘i. During his time there, and after being based in Silicon Valley, he was exposed to the wild tech boom times of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. This tech inspiration led Among to being one of three founders of a travel-tech startup called EzRez/Switchfly, which was one of the first dynamic packaging engines, and still powers many travel engines such as United Airlines until today.  After the airline and reservations software experience, he worked at a travel wholesaler, a hotel online travel agency, a cruise line and finally landed in the exciting and fun tours and activities industry at Kualoa Ranch.

Gerald Nakashima, BS ‘96, is the general manager at Park Lane Ala Moana Residences. Prior to his appointment, Nakashima spent 25 years in hotel management with Starwood and Marriott hotels. His career allowed him to travel and gain experience working at resorts on Maui and Kauai. Gerald was born and raised in Honolulu and attended UH Mānoa, obtaining a degree in Travel Industry Management with an emphasis in Hotel Management. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons. He is also active in the community and serves on the council at Metro Christian Church.

Simon Morley, BS ‘96, is from Sydney, Australia and started his journey in hospitality at the age of 17 as a bellman before heading UH Mānoa, where he graduated from the TIM School with a bachelor’s in Hotel Management. Morley currently serves as director of new hotels for IGH Hotels & Resorts, overseeing the Australia, Asia and the Pacific markets. He has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, holding a variety of management and executive level positions across the globe. After graduating, Morley took on duty manager roles, as well front desk manager and even housekeeping manager. In 2001, he joined IHG, where he was fortunate to work for more than 14 years in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, South Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Australia, holding roles from front office manager, EAM, and several general manager roles. In 2015, Simon became vice president asset management & then COO with Narai Group, a large Thai hospitality organization, and supported everything from renovations in a Paris hotel, to opening the best hostel in the world in Thailand. Most recently, Morley returned to IHG and Sydney where he led 83 hotels over South East Asia for a project around workforce optimization and productivity and recently moved to his current position.

Todd Iida, BS ‘98, is the general manager of business development for Hawaii Stevedores, Inc. He has been in the shipping industry for more than 20 years and has experience in terminal operations, maintenance, vessel planning, auto operations, container yard operations and labor relations. Additionally, Iida boasts experience in union negotiations, serving as the lead negotiator in the creation of two new ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) contracts: Office Clerical Unit and Local 100 Supervisors. Iida is currently an active member of the TIM Alumni Board of Directors.

Valerie Kan, BS 2016, is the manager, digital marketing, at Universal Pictures, where she is the international team lead. Her role involves overseeing social media accounts, influencer partnerships, cross-platform content launches, creative production and more for global theatrical film campaigns in over 50 countries. Previously, she held a similar role at Paramount Pictures, where she contributed to titles such as Rocketman, Coming 2 America, SpongeBob, A Quiet Place Part II and more. With more than five years of experience in the entertainment industry, Kan has worked with almost every studio, including ABC, Disney, HBO, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Her career has allowed her to work red carpet premieres in Los Angeles, New York City, London and Budapest. When she's not watching movies or reading scripts, she enjoys experimenting with TikTok recipes and spending time with her dog, Patrick.