Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii today announced the creation of The Keith Vieira Ho‘owaiwai a Ho‘ona‘auao Endowed Scholarship to honor Keith Vieira’s 36-year career in the visitor industry, 33 of which he spent with Starwood. Vieira currently serves as senior vice president and director of operations for Hawaiʻi and French Polynesia at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
The announcement of the scholarship was made at a celebration honoring both Vieira’s end-of-year retirement and Starwood Hawaii’s 50-year partnership with Kyo-ya Hotels and Resorts. Kyo-ya is the owner of Starwood’s four Waikīkī properties, Sheraton Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort , Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, and the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa.
“As a valued friend, mentor and colleague, we created an endowed scholarship in Keith’s name at his alma mater, the University of Hawaiʻi’s Shidler College of Business,” said Cheryl Williams, Starwood Hawaii’s regional director of sales & marketing. “The scholarship will support undergraduate and graduate students from Hawaiʻi high schools pursuing degrees at the Shidler College of Business.”
Williams added, “Ho‘owaiwai a Ho‘ona‘auao means to be enriched by education, a phrase that best reflects Keith’s passion for mentoring others and for his ongoing commitment to education. He has truly dedicated his career to mentoring Hawaiʻi students and has been instrumental in launching the careers of many through Starwood Hotels & Resorts Management Trainee Program in partnership with our ownership groups, including Kyo-ya.
“We invite those who have worked with Keith over the years, or have been inspired by his enormous contributions to Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry, to enrich this endowment with additional funding as a way to honor one of our industry’s greatest leaders.”
Under Vieira’s leadership, Starwood has grown to 14 hotels in Hawaiʻi and French Polynesia, representing five of Starwood’s nine brands including flagship Westins and Sheratons and award-winning icons like The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, the St. Regis Princeville and the St. Regis Bora Bora.
Born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Vieira graduated from the Shidler College of Business with a degree in personnel and industrial relations. He began his career with Starwood in 1980, beginning a rise into progressively more responsible management positions. He was named to lead the region in 1998.
A leader in Hawaii’s visitor industry, Vieira has served two terms as a member of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Vieira also serves on the boards of numerous local charities, including chairing three local charter school boards, Kualapuʻu School, Waimea Middle School and Kamaile Academy, and has advocated for increased funding for early childhood education. He has worked with Kapiolani Community College and Leeward Community College in an advisory capacity. Keith serves on the Shidler College of Business Advisory Council and participates actively in the College’s MBA Mentoring Program.
Vieira humbly thanked his industry peers and Starwood colleagues for creating this scholarship in his name.
“I am wholeheartedly committed to growing and strengthening Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry, but I am also passionate about and personally driven to nurture Hawaiʻi’s future business leaders,” said Vieira. “I am greatly honored by this effort to grow the talent we have in these Islands.”
Those wishing to contribute additional funding to The Keith Vieira Ho‘owaiwai a Ho‘ona‘auao Endowed Scholarship are invited to visit www.uhfoundation.org/keithvieira.
FOR UH • FOR HAWAIʻI, The Campaign for the University of Hawaiʻi, is focused on raising $1 billion to support UH priorities on all 10 campuses across the state, including student success; research that matters; kuleana to Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi; sustainability, resilience and conservation; innovation and entrepreneurship; building Hawaiʻi’s workforce; and engaging our community. Learn more at uhfoundation.org/4UH4HI
Questions? / More Information
If you would like to learn how you can support UH students and programs like this, please contact us at 808-956-8700 or send us a message.
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About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii
With 11 properties across the diverse Hawaiian Islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and the Big Island, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii offers the best hotel destinations to celebrate romance, reconnect with family, focus on business or launch an adventure. Located on or just footsteps away from the Islands’ best beaches, Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii is a collection of iconic and historic hotels and resorts – properties with expansive and breathtaking backdrops, innovative guest programming and luxurious amenities representing internationally renowned hotel brands from Sheraton, Westin, Luxury Collection and St. Regis. For more information about Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii, please call (866) 716-8140 or visit www.starwoodhotelshawaii.com.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,134 properties in nearly 100 countries and 171,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
