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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, February 7, 2005

No Ka 'Oi

Advertiser Staff

• For the eighth consecutive year, Marriott International Inc. has been recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For."

The international lodging company ranked first among companies with 100,000 or more employees, and was the only U.S.-based lodging company on the list. Marriott is also on the magazine's "hall of fame" list of 22 companies that have appeared on every such list since 1998.

Since opening its first Hawai'i property in 1981 — the 391-room Maui Marriott and Ocean Club — the chain now has 15 hotel and vacation ownership properties among all the major islands, including the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua; the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina; the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel; and Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort. Marriott's 312-room Courtyard Kauai at Waipouli Beach is set to open this year.

DEBBIE NAKANELUA-RICHARDS has been named Hawaiian Airlines 2004 Employee of the Year.

Nakanelua-Richards, a senior manager of government and community relations since 1992, was chosen from among 23 Kupono Award recipients, nominated by their peers, in 2004.

Over the years, her company contributions have included organizing Hawaiian's volunteer community participation, including in the Merrie Monarch Festival, Great Aloha Run, Hawai'i Farm Fair, Honolulu Marathon, Aloha Festivals Parade, Kamehameha Day Parade, Honolulu City Lights Parade, Manoa Valley Theatre and University of Hawai'i athletics.

A former Miss Hawai'i, she has also served as a member of the Aloha Festivals' board of directors, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Honolulu, Daughters of Hawai'i, Friends of Honolulu City Lights and Hawai'i Tourism Authority Cultural Advisory Committee.

• The Waikoloa Foundation, formed to preserve and protect Hawai'i's unique culture and environment, awarded its fifth annual Naupaka Award to Nanette Lim-Yap, a well-known musician and dancer. She has been recognized for perpetuating the aloha spirit and preserving the Hawaiian culture through her knowledge of culture, language, song and dance.

She is perhaps better known as Nani Lim of the Big Island's musical Lim Family of song "Pua 'Olena" fame. She shares her musical and cultural talents at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, is kumu of Na Lei O Kaholuku hula halau, and with her husband, Edward, has produced the Waiki'i Music Festival.

Announcements of business-related awards and honors can be sent to: No Ka 'Oi Business Awards, Business Section, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; faxed to 525-6763, or e-mailed to business@honoluluadvertiser.com. For e-mailed releases, please make sure the information is included in the body of the message, not as an attachment.