Henry Perez Assumes Board Chairmanship of Timeshare Industry in Hawaii
The American Resort Development Association of Hawaii (ARDA-Hawaii) announced that visitor industry veteran Henry Perez has been elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the local chapter of the national timeshare trade association. Perez is currently General Manager of Hilton Grand Vacations Club headquartered in Honolulu and has extensive experience managing hotel chains and timeshare resorts.
Perez began his career in the hotel business at the age of 15 at the Holiday Inn Miami Beach, quickly ascending the ranks to become General Manager at a Crown Sterling Suites in Florida by the age of 28. Following several promotions, Perez relocated to Hawaii in 1993 to serve as General Manager of the Embassy Suites Resort on Maui. Three years later he ventured into the timeshare resort industry when he became Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of the 176-unit Lawai Beach Resort on Kauai. Following eight years on Kauai, Perez took on leadership duties at several other hotels and resorts before joining Hilton Grand Vacations at Hilton Hawaiian Village in 2010.
“I look forward to continuing our organization’s efforts to foster growth and awareness of Hawaii’s timeshare industry,” said Perez. “In addition to engaging in vital legislative and business issues, we have had done much to cultivate future industry leaders and raise awareness of the advantages of timeshare among the general public. Beyond the support extended to our members, our success offers far-reaching benefits to many Hawaii stakeholders, including small businesses statewide,” he added.
ARDA has been active in Hawaii for more than 20 years and the timeshare industry today provides thousands of jobs in Hawaii annually. Since timeshare is essentially prepaid, timeshare owners are likely to visit Hawaii even when global economic conditions are not ideal. Timeshares benefit all types of Hawaii businesses, as owners dine out, sign up for tours and partake in a wide range of local activities. In many cases, owners visit Hawaii for the first time through timeshare exchanges.
“I’m pleased to hand over the reins of our flourishing organization to Henry and know that he will be able to continue the momentum gained in recent years,” said outgoing Board Chair Daniel Dinell, who is Vice President-Oahu for Hilton Grand Vacations. Dinell served in this leadership role with ARDA-Hawaii since 2009 and will remain an active member on the Board.
Perez, originally from Miami, Fla., has been a Hawaii resident for more than 21 years. He earned an Associate Degree in Business Administration with a major in Hotel Management from Miami Dade Community College. He is also a graduate of the Embassy Suites and Marriott Hotels management training programs. His professional certifications include Certified Hospitality Administrator (CHA) and Registered Resort Professional (RRP). Perez is bilingual (English and Spanish), holds a private pilot’s license and enjoys scuba diving, fishing and competing in marathons.
ARDA-Hawaii is the local chapter of the American Resort Development Association, the national timeshare trade association. The state’s timeshare units account for 13 percent of the State’s visitor lodging inventory and thousands of jobs. Learn more about “Timeshare with Aloha” at http://www.arda.org.