It is quite possible that the physical presence of Kaupena Aukai Kinimaka is enough to discourage anyone looking for trouble at the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club on Kalapaki Beach. At six foot, five inches tall and 270 pounds,
It is quite possible that the physical presence of Kaupena Aukai Kinimaka is enough to discourage anyone looking for trouble at the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club on Kalapaki Beach.
At six foot, five inches tall and 270 pounds, even the toughest tough would think twice before trespassing or crossing paths with bad intent with Kinimaka standing in the way.
Kinimaka, 45, is the somewhat-reluctant recipient of the highest associate (employee) honor given to those working for Marriott International.
He recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he and 11 others accepted the J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence. Of 129,000 Marriott International associates, just 350 are nominated.
Kinimaka wished he could make it a team award. “If I had my way, the hotel, not an individual, would get the award.
“At first, I didn’t want to go,” Kinimaka said. “You can just give the award to the hotel. That would be great,” he remembers thinking.
“I felt maybe they should give it to the hotel in general, because there are a lot of good people who work here,” he said.
The hotel includes just sand, dirt, grass and buildings. It’s the people who make it important, he said.
Director of loss prevention at the Kauai Marriott, he held security positions at the Kauai Surf, Westin Kauai and Kauai Marriott after starting at the hotel as the torch-lighter, at the age of eight.
On Tuesday, July 1, he will celebrate nine years with Kauai Marriott.
“My job is challenging. It’s different every day,” he said when asked what he likes most about his job.
“Every day I’m faced with new challenges. You’re dealing with people’s emotions. They’ve been ripped off, assaulted, injured in accidents,” he said.
“The challenges, the training and all that. That’s what keeps me going,” he said.
“Dishonest people,” or “people trying to get something for nothing,” are what he dislikes about the job, he offered.
“Live aloha, share the aloha spirit, and be the best parent you can possibly be. You don’t need anything more than that,” he told the crowd at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Hotel.
He learned about the award at the end of a department-head meeting on Kauai, and learned more about the nomination process at the Washington ceremonies.
“I felt overwhelmed,” he said when asked how it felt to learn he was one of the award recipients. He received over 100 congratulatory e-mails from fellow associates.
“We are all very proud of Kaupena for the work he’s done for the resort and within the community,” said Simon Jongert, general manager of the Kauai Marriott, who accompanied Kinimaka on the trip.
“With 129,000 Marriott International employees worldwide, Kaupena is well-deserving of this company’s highest form of recognition. He is well respected by his associates, and his attitude that no task is above or below him makes Kaupena an exceptional team player,” Jongert said.
Kinimaka oversees a staff of 25 people whose primary responsibility is to keep the resort secure and guests safe.
He literally grew up on Kalapaki Beach, spending his childhood days playing on the beach while his father, Percy Leleo Kinimaka, worked as a beach boy and ran the hotel’s beach services.
By age eight, Kaupena Kinimaka was working for his dad, lighting torches and taking guests on canoe rides.
It would be difficult to find a person who knows more about the property than Kinimaka, which is why he enjoys sharing the resort’s history with guests and associates, Jongert added.
The J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence was established in 1987 as a lasting tribute to company founder J. Willard Marriott and his ideals of achievement, character, dedication, effort and perseverance.
More than 300 associates were nominated this year for their commitment to excellence, teamwork, and spirit to serve.
In his nomination form, Kinimaka was cited for his proactive approach to keeping the hotel safe and secure for guests and associates.
He helped create the hotel’s Accident Prevention Committee, which meets monthly to discuss potential problems seen within the hotel, working to resolve them before they become issues.
He is widely known and respected in the community for his outstanding service to others.
“It is truly an honor to receive this award, and to be recognized as one of the best within this great organization,” Kinimaka said. “This is my home, and I’ve had a wonderful eight years working with the Kauai Marriott ohana,” he added.
“I’m looking forward to many more,” said the Puhi resident.
Kinimaka’s associates describe him as a person who considers the people he works with part of his family, someone who is very fair and open-minded, and a friend with a heart of gold.
He is constantly looking for ways to improve and take care of the property and everyone associated with it. Kinimaka can always be counted on to say “yes” when it comes to community giving.
He was instrumental in the formation of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii (VASH), a member of the Hawaii Hotel Association (HHA) and American Society of Industrial Security, secretary of the Kauai Security Directors, and safety route chair for the HHA Visitor Industry Charity Walk.
Away from work, Kinimaka’s passion is cooking. He’s prepared stew for local Pop Warner football teams, prepared and cooked lau lau for preschool fundraisers, and donated his time cooking for the annual Kauai Hospice fundraiser.
“Kaupena is without question a very dedicated person who goes about his duties with great pride,” Jongert said. “He is an excellent role model for his associates and the community. But, more importantly, he is a leader in life.”
Business Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
