MAHALO from the Chairman – August 2017

 

Sharon Shigemoto, HRA Board Director, Hawaii Gas Company

Thank you to everyone that came out and supported the Lodging, Hospitality, and Food Expo hosted by Douglas Trade Shows at the Neal Blaisdell Center last month!  Because we had so many HRA Partners in one area, we truly had a fantastic pavilion.  A big “Mahalo” to our supporters, Chef Zone, KCC, and Naomi Azama, Heather Pence, Dan Pence, Biff Graper, Kahau Manzo, Tina Rogers, Amanda Kullman-Kipp, Mark Weisbord and Toni of ValPak.  But a lot of what we do is made possible by our amazing HRA Partners at Hawaii Gas!

Since the very beginning of the HRA, Hawaii Gas has been a lifetime partner.  Through their time with us, there have been many representatives of Hawaii Gas that have sat on the HRA board, but none more impactful than Sharon Shigemoto. 

Sharon has been a director for the HRA for the last 5-years.  The Hawaii Restaurant Association hosts 4 major events each year: The Employee Appreciation Excellence Awards, the HRA Golf Tournament, the Hall of Fame Awards, and our Member Appreciation Christmas Party.  During Sharon’s time on the board, she has been a part of every aspect of every event.  Sharon currently sits on our “Events and Fundraising Committee” and is always donating her time behind the scenes, organizing our events and working hard to help make everything the HRA does a success.  If you ever have been to one of these great events, more than likely the reason you had such a great time is largely in part to all the hard work that Sharon has put in. 

Sharon is a 37-year veteran of the Hawaii Gas Company and is currently the Supervisor of Sales on Oahu.  Her territory spans from Ward Center all the way to Hawaii Kai.  The number of customers that she helps and services is almost too great to count. In addition to her responsibilities with Hawaii Gas and her support of the HRA, she also donates her time to the Hawaii Tourism and Lodging Association (HTLA), the Building Industry Association (BIA), the Organization of Women in Leadership (OWL), and Special Olympics. 

When I asked Sharon what she loved most about her job she quickly replied, “The People!  I love meeting new people, I love helping people.”  Sharon is one of the kindest most giving people that I have ever met, and it’s her infectious personality that people are naturally drawn to and want to be around.

Sharon from all of us at the HRA we want to recognize you for all that you do to support Hawaii’s Nonprofits.  Your selfless devotion to making other organizations and businesses better is something that we can all learn from.  Thank you for all that you do, and thank you again to everyone who helped make the HRA Pavilion a fantastic one.

Tyler Roukema, HRA Chairman

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