DESTINATION LAX
THE ORIGIN OF THE SHAKA
AIRPORT EXCELLENCE
TIME CAPSULE
FEBRUARY 2017
David Shichida 2016
Destination / Los Angeles
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Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the U.S. and the largest in California. Why? Because it has everything! A richly diverse economy fueled by the entertainment, fashion, sports, education, medicine and research industries (to name just a few) has made the City of Angels a magnet of opportunity for everyone, from aspiring movie stars to entrepreneurs…and everything in between. Chasity Wills of our LAX Station shares some of her favorite places to see and things to do. What’s one thing employees must do while visiting? With its expanding Home Team Sports acquisitions, employees must catch one of the many local sporting events happening around town – whether it’s hockey with the Kings, soccer with the Galaxy, baseball with the Dodgers, basketball with the Clippers or Lakers, or football with the Rams and the new LA Chargers! If sports are not your thing, there’s always Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags. For those wanting the Hollywood experience, check out the many free live tapings of game shows, television sitcoms, and daytime and late night talk shows that are filming all week long. What’s a favorite restaurant amongst Angelinos? The unanimous favorite amongst our agents has to be pretty much anywhere that you can eat Korean BBQ in Korea Town. If vegan is your thing, Gracias Madre in West Hollywood has AMAZING vegan Mexican Food and is a celebrity hotspot with paparazzi constantly lurking outside. As far as bakeries go, locals heading back to Hawai‘i can be seen on a daily basis carrying boxes from Porto’s Bakery & Cafe filled with Potato Balls and Guava & Cheese Pastries. You can’t mention food without including desserts, and one spot worth noting is Coolhaus. It’s close to the airport in Culver City, and started off as a food truck before establishing a permanent home on Washington Blvd. It’s an ice cream sandwich shop that makes its own wacky and creative flavors of ice cream and bakes its own cookies, brownies, and rice crispy treats that you can mix or match to create your sandwich. Are there any upcoming events / activities taking place in March or April? April 14-16 and April 21-23 are this year’s dates for the best music and arts festival of all: COACHELLA. People from all across the country dress in their best hippie, hipster gear and make their way to let
their flower child go wild in the dessert near Palm Springs. This year’s lineup includes artists like Radiohead, Beyonce and Kendrik Lamar, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the more than 150-artist lineup. For the nerds and geeks at heart, Wonder Con, the pre-Con before the major Con in July, is happening March 31, April 1 and 2 in Anaheim. It’s basically a preamble to the uber famous Comic Con in San Diego – a weekend filled with comic books, TV, film, celebrities, and all that is the popular arts and geeky, we wouldn’t miss it! What’s your favorite outdoor activity? We have many famous hiking trails that are popular among the locals, including the Griffith Park Observatory, Runyon Canyon and Hollywood Hills. They don’t take very long, but all three offer fantastic views of the LA skyline. Hikes further out from the city, such as Devils Punchbowl and Eaton Canyon Falls, are also worth visiting. For those surfers from the islands wanting to hit up some surf spots, Palos Verdes Cove in the south or Nicholas Canyon in Malibu are some favorites of the LAX staff. What do you like to do in the city on your day off? I like film, music and stage. Every week, you can find a Hollywood movie premiere happening at some theater in town – may it be The Chinese Theatre, El Capitan, Microsoft Theatre, or The Arclight (attendance is free, but you’ll need to figure out how to get your hands on a ticket). With an ubiquitous amount of famous live music venues like Hotel Café, Hollywood Palladium, The Wiltern, Troubadour, The Greek Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, El Rey Theatre, The Echo, Staples Center, and The Mint just to name a few, from big to small acts you’ll be able to satisfy an eclectic array of musical tastes. Then we have our stage shows at the Pantages Theatre that can’t be missed. When you can’t make it to Broadway, this is the next best thing! ■
Taking the Message on the Road
Each year, just before the start of the Hawai‘i legislative session, President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunkerley makes it a point to visit with business and community leaders on the Neighbor Islands to update them on our plans and dialog about the socio-economic issues that impact all of us. This year, Mark also used these trips to visit with Hawaiian Airlines employees at each of our Hawai‘i stations to take questions and talk story.
“As members of the community and ambassadors of our brand, our employees are in a unique position to help us succeed in the markets that we serve,” noted Ann Botticelli, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. “They not only have the opportunity to hear directly from Mark, they also come away from the meeting with information that they’re able to use to answer any questions from friends and family.” “Whether it’s our position on a proposed Airport Corporation or how the A321neo will transform our business, our employees take pride and an active interest in the success of our company,” said Reid Shigeoka, Kona Station General Manager. “And, more importantly, they appreciate the fact that their CEO is able to make time to see them in person and answer their questions.” While we look toward our future, it’s also important to pay homage to our past. This year, our archivist, Capt. Rick Rogers, gave a brief history of our operations at each station and showed employees the time capsule that will be interred inside our new Cargo and Maintenance Facility, not to be reopened until Hawaiian Airlines’ 150th anniversary in 2079. ■
Congratulations David Shichida / 2016 Employee of the Year
Honoring great work isn’t just a catch phrase here at Hawaiian Airlines…it’s a value we share and live. And at the start of each year, we take great care to spotlight the teamwork, performance, contribution and commitment that fuels our company’s success at our annual Employee Recognition Banquet. The event honors our colleagues celebrating their milestone years of service (beginning with 25 years of service and up, in five-year increments and then every year after 45), and pays special tribute to all of the previous year’s Kūpono Award winners. From within that distinguished class, one individual is chosen as our Employee of the Year – this year, HNL Ramp Agent David Shichida took home that honor.
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N A CONGRATULATORY letter to David, President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunkerley wrote, “While the start of your shift officially begins at the crack of dawn, I’m told you’re often in well before then to make sure the teams are ready for the day. Whether it’s tidying up and organizing, re-parking equipment to make things easier for the next shift, making sure the commissary, ramp and bag room have everything ready to go, or monitoring TSA and technician updates that could have a ‘domino’ effect on the day’s schedule, you do all the little things that few see, but all appreciate – after all, a smooth, efficient and safe operation does not happen by chance.” David loves his job as much today as he did 33 years ago when he first set foot on the HNL Ramp. We talked story with David about receiving our company’s highest honor, the importance of his work, and what it means to be a Hawaiian Airlines employee. What thoughts were going through your mind when your name was announced for receiving the Employee of the Year award? In my head I was thinking, “Are you people high, or are you people crazy?! I don’t deserve this award, it’s the people on the Ramp who deserve this award!” If not for their hard work and effort, day-in and day-out, this company would not be where it is today. I feel that I’ve accepted this award on behalf of my Ramp teammates. Can you share a little about your job as a Ramp Agent and what you like about it? There’s not that much to say about my job, except to me, every day at work is an adventure.
Taking Our Past to the Future
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S HAWAIIAN AIRLINES continues to expand its horizons, it’s important that we, and future generations of employees, have a way to look back into our company’s past and honor all that our forebears have accomplished. The Hawaiian Airlines Time Capsule gives us that opportunity and is another window into a rich history that often informs what we’re doing today. The capsule will be interred in the new facility and will be opened on Nov. 11, 2079 – Hawaiian Airlines’ 150th birthday.
“I don’t deserve this award, it’s the people on the Ramp who deserve this award! If not for their hard work and effort, day-in and day-out, this company would not be where it is today. I feel that I’ve accepted this award on behalf of my Ramp teammates.” —David Shichida What’s something meaningful you’ve learned over the course of your time working at Hawaiian Airlines? In the 33 years I’ve worked at Hawaiian Airlines, I’ve been able to gain wisdom and knowledge of my job, and a better understanding of how to do it better. What does it mean to you to be an employee of Hawaiian Airlines? It means a lot, and I feel that it is a great privilege to be working for Hawaiian Airlines. It’s been a dream job that I always wanted as a young boy. What is your philosophy on work? What motivates you to continue to do such great work? Honestly, my goal is to do the best job I can when I’m at work, to have a positive attitude, and of course – to have fun while doing it. I just enjoy my job and the people I work with. They bring out the best in me. ■
Conceived by Hawaiian Airlines Archivist, Capt. Rick Rogers, and designed and fabricated by the skilled technicians in our GSE shops to resemble a standard LD-3 shipping container, the Time Capsule tells the history of Hawaiian Airlines via a collection of artifacts, memorabilia, documents and digital media. The Time Capsule has been making special visits to our stations and work areas across the company, giving employees the opportunity to view items already in the capsule, and also donate memorabilia or sign their name on a banner that will be placed inside. If you missed the Time Capsule in your work area, or would like to contribute a letter to your future counterpart, please email HALTimeCapsule@ HawaiianAir.com. ■
Kama‘āina Insights / The Origin of the Shaka
“Hang loose,” “Right on,” “Thank you,” “Things are great,” “Take it easy” – in Hawai‘i, the shaka sign expresses all those friendly messages and more. As kama‘āina know, to make the shaka, you curl your three middle fingers while extending your thumb and baby finger. For emphasis, quickly turn your hand back and forth with your knuckles facing outward.
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S THE STORY GOES, that ubiquitous gesture traces its origins back to the early 1900s when Hamana Kalili worked at Kahuku Sugar Mill. His job as a presser was to feed cane through the rollers to squeeze out its juice. One day, Kalili’s right hand got caught in the rollers, and his middle, index and ring fingers were crushed. After the accident, the plantation owners gave Kalili a new job as the security officer for the train that used to run between Sunset Beach and Ka‘a‘awa. Part of his job was to prevent kids from jumping on the train and taking joyrides as it slowly approached and departed Kahuku Station. If Kalili saw kolohe (mischievous) kids trying to get on the train, he would yell and wave his hands to stop them. Of course, that looked a bit strange since he had only two fingers on his right hand. The kids adopted that gesture; it
became their signal to indicate Kalili was not around or not looking, and the coast was clear for them to jump on the train. According to a March 31, 2002 Honolulu StarBulletin story, Kalili was the choir director at his ward (congregation) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) in Lāi‘e. Even though his back was to the congregation, worshippers recognized him when he raised his hands to direct the choir because of his missing fingers.
Kalili also served as “king” of the church fundraiser – complete with a hukilau, lū‘au and show – that was held annually for years until the 1970s. Photos show him greeting attendees with his distinctive wave. The term “shaka” is not a Hawaiian word. It’s attributed to David “Lippy” Espinda, a used car pitchman who ended his TV commercials in the 1960s with the gesture and an enthusiastic “Shaka, brah!” In 1976, the shaka sign was a key element of Frank Fasi’s third campaign for mayor of Honolulu. He won that race and used the shaka icon for three more successful mayoral bids, serving six terms in all. In Hawai‘i, everyone from keiki to kūpuna uses the shaka to express friendship, gratitude, goodwill, encouragement and unity. A little wave of the hand spreads a lot of aloha. ■
The Case for an Airport Corporation It’s a well-known fact that Hawai‘i is a tourism state. And while the natural beauty that defines our slice of paradise makes it such a desirable place to visit, the rest of our success as a leisure destination is owed to those who’ve built our tourism infrastructure. With so much investment that goes into refreshing the obvious mainstays of this key industry (new hotels, restaurants and activities), there’s one critically important component that’s been silently neglected over the years: the state of our airports.
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HE WELL-DOCUMENTED challenges in the upkeep of our airports are on full display for all travelers to see as they step off their flights – often it’s their first impression of us. Broken and neglected restrooms, leaky ceilings, and outdated baggage systems aside, our terminals are simply not equipped to welcome the aircraft, passenger loads and required operational systems of the future. “But that’s not for a lack of funding,” said State Government Liaison Blaine Miyasato. “In fact, what most people don’t know is that the development and operation of our airports – including staffing – is fully funded by the airlines serving Hawai‘i (represented by the Airline Committee of Hawai‘i or ACH) and airport concessionaires– not a single dime of taxpayer money is used. So, the money is there.” What’s more, there is broad legislative and community support to transform our airports into world-class facilities through investments and upgrades. So what’s stopping us? “Under the current system, in order to make any investments and upgrades, you have to navigate a myriad of state agencies and departments that control parts (budgeting, staffing, procurement and other important commercial issues) but without any clear accountability for the airports’ performance,” explained Blaine. “In addition to the lack of clarity and accountability, decisions are often delayed by lengthy legislative process reviews, compounded by the fact that each legislative session lasts only four months out of the year.” Case in point: the ACH actually approved the much-needed improvement projects over eight years ago, but the DOT-A (Department of Transportation Airports Division) has been unable to deliver any significant element of that plan. Meanwhile, the airlines continue to pay higher fees for capital improvements that remain unfinished – or haven’t even been started – as the airports continue their course into further disrepair – HNL recently received a score of 3 out of 10 from the Skytrax Airport rating system. “With the available funds at our disposal and such an eagerness to move forward – including among the airport system staff who are also frustrated by the bureaucracy – we should be able to create an alternative structure for Hawai‘i airports that streamlines decisions
and provides consistent leadership to oversee planning processes that often overlap state administrations,” Blaine said. In fact, in 2016 the DOT asked for a study that incorporates meetings with legislators, state departments and key stakeholders from the private sector, to evaluate best practices in airport governance against the following criteria: ■ Leadership and management continuity ■ Decision-making responsiveness ■ Commercial emphasis ■ Capital program efficiency ■ Administrative process efficiency ■ Staff talent ■ Transparency and public accountability
“The study’s findings strongly suggest an independent Airport Corporation is the only governance model that’ll allow our airports to operate as and evolve into world-class facilities,” Blaine explained. “While it’s a seemingly straightforward solution, the political decisionmaking surrounding the issue is far from that, and I’ll be focusing on securing support to move this concept forward in the Legislature this year.” We’ll be asking all of you to get involved in supporting an Airport Corporation so stay tuned for more information on how you can help. ■
Getting to Know Vice President of Information Technology, John Jacobi
As Vice President of Information Technology, Hawaiian Airlines’ new technology leader, John Jacobi, is responsible for the teams and people that design, build and deliver the airline’s most important computer solutions – everything from systems that help our guests check in and remain connected throughout their flight, to ones that help us to maintain industry-leading inventory and share vital employee information across the business. As we welcome John to Hawai‘i and to the Hawaiian Airlines ‘ohana, we wanted to know a little bit about the man who comes to us with a wealth of industry experience, and a great vision for technology’s critical role in running an airline. Here’s what he told us. What’s your hometown? Atlanta, Georgia. But in my short time here so far, Hawai‘i just feels like a place you’d want to call home as well. What was your first job? Swim Coach. Being a coach required discipline, accountability, passion, vision and understanding, characteristics I would say that have helped me in my various technology leadership roles throughout my entire career. Is there a hobby or pastime you’d like to share? I love to sail and play golf. So yes, Hawai‘i’s a great place to be! What’s your favorite place to travel and why? Spending time in the British Virgin Islands on a sailboat. What is your favorite place to eat / favorite meal? The LunchBox for now, I suppose. My guess is that I’ll be expanding my culinary experiences the more time I get to explore these beautiful islands.
EDITOR
Nicky Leong Texeira Corporate Communications CONTRIBUTORS
Damian Balinowski Corporate Communications Kevin Imanaka Corporate Communications John Jacobi Information Technology Blaine Miyasato Corporate Communications
David Shichida Airport Operations Chasity Wills Airport Operations
Tell us a little bit about your past work experience. I have been fortunate to work at some pretty great companies including KPMG, Delta Air Lines, EDS, Southwest, COX, and JetBlue. Most of my work has been leading large Application Development Organizations and helping IT Organizations become more productive. How do you hope to contribute to Hawaiian Airlines’ success this year? By partnering with our business units to understand their needs and how IT can help to achieve their goals. I plan to spend a lot of time listening and engaging with the front line teams that deliver the remarkable service and hospitality our employees are known for, and then empower our organization to deliver on those commitments. ■
COVER
Congratulations to our employee of the year, HNL Ramp Agent David Shichida! PHOTO_Nicky Texeira Senior Specialist-Multimedia, Internal Communications
is published monthly by the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs department. Between issues, get the latest news and information via HApeople. Contributions, questions, comments and suggestions can be sent to corpcomm2@hawaiianair.com. Contribution deadline for the April issue: March 10, 2017.