Team — Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association

Meet the NaHHA Team

A team serving Hawaiʻi across Hawaiʻi.

NaHHA’s team serves the community and the visitor industry across Hawaiʻi.

MĀLIA SANDERS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kapolei, Oʻahu

Mālia is a subject matter expert on Regenerative Tourism in Hawaiʻi and holds multiple Professional Certifications in Sustainable Tourism and Destination Management from Cornell University, Sustainable Tourism for Native Nations & Communities from Arizona State University, and Cultural Heritage Tourism through the International Institute of Tourism Studies at the George Washington University.

Mālia was recognized as one of “Hawaiʻi’s 20 For The Next 20” by Hawaiʻi Business Magazine, is a graduate of the Pacific Century Fellows Program modeled after the White House Fellows program, and was named Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year and a Pineapple Award recipient.

Mālia is the President of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu and sits on a national indigenous tourism board for the American Indigenous Tourism Association.

KAʻIULANI SPENCER

ADMIN COORDINATOR

Kīhei, Maui

Kaʻiulani has practiced hula under the instruction of Kumu Hula Kuʻualoha Kaulia and has been a lifelong advocate for Native Hawaiian culture and ʻāina-based (land-based) learning.

Kaʻiulani also serves as a member of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu exercising her civic engagement. Kaʻiulani also enjoys spending her free time in voluntourism and is a Maui community advocate.

She believes that assisting Native Hawaiians in achieving success in tourism and hospitality endeavors will provide economic benefit and will build strong and sustainable communities.

HIʻILANI SHIBATA

LEAD CULTURAL TRAINER

Waianaʻe, Oʻahu

Hiʻilani was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. She is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa where she received her BA in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language). A lifelong learner, Hiʻilani has spent the last 25 years in both formal and informal education.

As NaHHA’s Lead Cultural trainer, you can catch Hiʻilani in one of our many training sessions throughout the month and in customized training sessions.

Team NaHHA Additional Support

TGA Collective

Led by Owner & Founder:

Zabrina Zablan-Duvauchelle

Event Logistic Support

Statewide Support

The Gay Agenda Collective (TGA) is a queer, Native Hawaiian and women-owned wedding and event planning company in Hawaiʻi, founded by Zabrina Zablan-Duvauchelle and her wife Ipolani to create inclusive, affirming experiences for LGBTQ+ couples.

Zabrina is the President of the Hawaiʻi Wedding Association and is a widely sought after consultant for Native Hawaiian events and program planning.

ʻŌiwi TV

Led by Executive Director:

Bryson Hoe

Multimedia Support & Marketing

Statewide Support

ʻŌiwi TV is a Honolulu-based multimedia organization founded in 2007 dedicated to preserving and promoting Native Hawaiian culture, language, and traditions.

Through a diverse range of programming—including documentaries, cultural events, language instruction, and youth-focused content—ʻŌiwi TV celebrates the rich heritage of the native people of Hawaiʻi while fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation among audiences worldwide.

JOSEPH PEKELO RECCA

CULTURAL HISTORIAN

Honolulu, Oʻahu

It is with a humble heart that the ʻohana of the NaHHA mourn the passing of one of our own, Joseph Pekelo Kekipi Bright Recca. Given the title of Kumu for his historical and cultural contributions to the legacy of the organization, Joe Recca, affectionately referred to as “Uncle Joe”, served as our Waikīkī Cultural Historian and as a Lamakū Hoʻokipa (Cultural Resource) for NaHHA for 25 years. Uncle Joe was well known for his walking tours in Waikīkī, where the rich history of this wahi pana would come to life through the weaving of his moʻolelo (stories).

Sep. 22, 1946 – Nov. 18, 2022