Saunders Puts Value on Education
This year, the Saunders Hotel Group began a new program that
will send children and grandchildren of hotel employees to Newbury
College with a full four-year scholarship.
Adiam Kiflom was the first recipient of the award. She will be
studying at Newbury College’s School of Business and Management
this fall. Adiam is the daughter of Kiflom Tesfagioris, a bellman
and doorman at the Lenox Hotel in Boston, Mass.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer to the children of our
employees the opportunity to get a quality education for free,”
said Jeff Saunders. “It’s also wonderful ... to broaden [our]
relationship with Newbury College.”
Lewis Is New GM at ResortQuest
ResortQuest Hawaii (formerly Aston Hotels & Resorts) has
named Deborah Lewis general manager of the ResortQuest Paki Maui.
In her new position, she will be responsible for the management of
the property and guest services.
Lewis has worked for ResortQuest for 14 years. She was
previously the rooms division manager of ResortQuest Mahana at
Kaanapali. Before that, she worked at five of the 28 ResortQuest
Hawaii’s properties.
Shimizu Promoted at Starwood Hawaii
Sharon Shimizu has been appointed regional communications
coordinator at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Hawaii. In her new role,
she will assist in the coordination of regional public relations,
advertising and promotional efforts for the 11 Starwood Hotels and
Resorts of Hawaii as well as three Tahiti properties.
Shimizu started her career with Starwood in the regional sales
and marketing department as an administrative assistant. Before
becoming regional communications coordinator, Shimizu was the Asia
sales manager.
Thull Deemed ‘Elite’
Lona Lee Thull of FriendlyCruises.com in Superstition Mountain,
Ariz., has been designated an Elite Cruise Counselor by the Cruise
Lines International Association (CLIA). Thull earned her
certification after completing a comprehensive program of cruise
sales training and product instruction, delivered through a
combination of extensive classroom training and personal cruise
experience. Founded in 1987, FriendlyCruises.com is one of more
than 16,000 North American travel-agency members of CLIA.
Attendees Show Support
The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB) was
inundated with well wishers at its booth at the La Cumbre -The
Americas Summit trade show, held in Houston, Sept. 7-9. The NOCVB
was met with a spontaneous outpouring of support as many of the
show’s delegates wrote notes of condolences and good wishes that
soon covered the walls of the organization’s booth.
NOCVB and Louisiana state officials joined the show in order to
provide information about the status of tourism in New Orleans.
