Posted on: Thursday, June 14, 2001
United's Hawai'i chief set to retire
Advertiser Staff
Norman F. Reeder, the head of United Airlines in Hawai'i for the past six years, will retire this month. Taking his place will be Thomas J. Renville, United's general manager of customer service in Denver, the company said.
Reeder was in charge of all United's operations in Hawai'i, including sales, reservations and 1,800 employees.
He was the longest-serving chairman of the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, heading the group from 1998 to 2000.
Reeder said he remains bullish on Hawai'i tourism.
"Hawai'i has the natural resource that no one in the world can replicate," he said. "The beauty, the culture. What we need always to do is keep Hawai'i top of mind throughout the world."
Reeder, who worked for United for 35 years, and his wife, Jan, will move to Reno, Nev., to be near their children.
"We love Hawai'i and hopefully can maintain a part-time residence in Hawai'i," Reeder said. "But with all our moving, we have not lived within 2,000 miles of our family for 20 years."
A member of Waialae Country Club, he said he is building a house on a golf course near Reno and intends to make golfing a priority.
Reeder served on the boards of the Aloha United Way, St. Louis Education Foundation, Aloha Council Boy Scouts, Pacific Air Forces Civilian Advisory Council, Japan-Hawai'i Economic Council, Bridge-Navy League, USS Missouri Memorial Association and the Hawai'i Business Roundtable.
His successor, Renville, has more than 28 years experience in the airline industry and has been responsible for United's operations at Denver International Airport since September 1995, the company said.
Renville supervised more than 3,500 employees in Denver, providing service to more than 30,000 customers a day on 320 daily outbound flights and an equal number of inbound flights.
He joined United in 1995 after a career that began in 1972 with Pacific Southwest Airlines and continued with US Airways.
Renville has served as a board member of the Denver Zoo. He and his wife, Denise, have two grown sons.
