Maui Business Owner Reappointed Chair of Tourism Authority Board

Ronald Williams, president and chief executive officer at Atlantis Adventures, has been reappointed to chair the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Photo courtesy of HTA.

By Sonia Isotov

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) board of directors today announced the reappointment of Ronald Williams as its chairperson, and the appointment of Patricia Ewing to vice chairperson.

“On behalf of the HTA, I’d like to recognize and thank Ron and Patti for their hard work and dedication toward enhancing the HTA’s goals and initiatives,” said Mike McCartney, HTA president and CEO.

“Their expertise and insight have been invaluable assets, affecting positive growth towards Hawaii’s tourism economy, and we look forward to their continued leadership and service.”

This will be Williams’ third consecutive one-year term as board chair. He was first appointed to the HTA board in 2010. With more than 30 years of visitor industry experience, Williams currently serves as the president and chief executive officer at Atlantis Adventures. He resides on the island of Maui.

Patricia Ewing, owner of Kong Lung Company on Kauai, is the new vice chair of the Hawaii Tourism Authority board of directors. Photo courtesy of HTA.

Patricia Ewing, owner of Kong Lung Company, has been a board member since 2006 as a representative of Kauai County. Ewing oversees operations at Kong Lung Historic Market Center in Kilauea, Kauai.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is a state agency established by law in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry and tourism economy in the state of Hawaii. As the state’s tourism authority, its mission is to strategically manage tourism to optimize benefits for Hawaii, integrating the interests of visitors, the community and visitor industry.

Through the implementation of the statewide Hawaii Tourism Strategic Plan and HTA’s own strategic plan, the authority works to direct Hawaii tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with our economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, community desires, and visitor industry needs.

For more information on the HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org.