SHARMAINE DOMINGO, Accepts $1,000 award

The Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association presented the first Ho’okipa Scholarship of $1,000 to Sharmaine Domingo of Maui High School at the Maui AgFest on April 1. Maui County Council Chairman Mike White presented the scholarship, along with HLTA board members Gregg Nelson, HLTA’s incoming chair; and Angela Nolan, HLTA’s Maui Chapter chair. All three presenters are top tourism executives: White is the general manager of the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, Nelson is the general manager of the Napili Kai Beach Resort, and Nolan is the managing director of the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas.

Domingo was enrolled in Maui High School’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT), and plans to pursue a degree in travel industry management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa starting in the fall. Domingo has been serving as the vice president of the AOHT, where she has been involved with many service projects and gained hospitality experience through career shadowing. As her senior project, she planned the Junior AOHT Orientation Meeting for incoming juniors and their parents.

“In honor of HLTA’s 70th anniversary, we are introducing several new scholarships as part of our mission of advocacy, education and philanthropy,” said Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association.