Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Board Names Blaine Miyasato Chair Mahina Paishon Duarte Named Vice Chair

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Board Names Blaine Miyasato Chair
Mahina Paishon Duarte Named Vice Chair

Pictured: David Arakawa, Kimberly Agas, Mike White, Mahina Paishon Duarte, Blaine Miyasato, Stephanie Iona, Sherry Menor-McNamara, James Tokioka, Dylan Ching. Missing: Jim McCully, Ben Rafter, Sig Zane.

HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) Board of Directors selected airline industry veteran Blaine Miyasato as its new chair and educator and social entrepreneur Mahina Paishon Duarte as its new vice chair during today’s regular monthly board meeting.

Chair Miyasato is the Managing Director, State Government Affairs at Hawaiian Airlines with nearly 40 years of experience in the airline industry. Starting as a flight attendant in 1985, he was Hawaiian Airlines’ first rank-and-file employee to join its executive team as Vice President of In-Flight Services. Miyasato brings a breadth of experience across multiple disciplines including marketing, advertising, promotions, brand management, product development, and business process improvement. Miyasato joined the HTA board earlier this month.

Vice Chair Paishon Duarte co-founded Waiwai Collective in 2016, a social enterprise that blends culture, community and commerce to achieve well-being and abundance outcomes for Hawai‘i and beyond. Previously, she served as Kanu o ka ‘Āina’s head of school for the secondary level and Hālau Kū Māna. Co-author of the ‘Āina Aloha Economic Futures declaration, Duarte has worked with various cultural and community organizations throughout Hawai‘i. She has earned a number of degrees from local universities to cultivate her unique skill set to serve Hawaiʻi through ancestral knowledge and lifeways. Paishon Duarte joined the HTA board in July 2022.

“Our board has the important responsibility of guiding and supporting the hard-working HTA leadership and staff, ensuring the Hawai‘i brand remains competitive in the global marketplace and that destination stewardship efforts continue to effectively address the impacts of tourism in our communitites,” said Miyasato. “I’m honored and humbled by this opportunity to put my experience to work, and I am grateful for the trust of my fellow board members.”

“There is a unique opportunity before us to couple the strength of our brand as a visitor destination with responsible destination stewardship to accelerate Hawaiʻi’s progress toward a regenerative economy,” said Paishon Duarte. “We can only realize the full potential of this opportunity in partnership with the communities we serve. I’m excited to serve alongside my fellow board members and the HTA staff in this effort.”

HTA’s Board of Directors is a policy-making entity comprised of 12 members who meet monthly to guide the agency’s work on behalf of the people of Hawaiʻi.

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Link to Photos: https://finnpartners.box.com/s/g5f99d97411mpst5vx8zaqyrmsy6ybgl
Photo Credit: Hawai‘i Tourism Authority

About the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority
The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority is the state agency responsible for representing The Hawaiian Islands around the world, and for holistically managing tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with community desires, economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, and visitor industry needs. HTA works with the community and industry to Mālama Kuʻu Home – care for our beloved home. For more information about HTA, visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org or follow @HawaiiHTA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

For more information, contact:

T. Ilihia Gionson
Public Affairs Officer
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority
ilihia.gionson@gohta.net