New Exec Housekeeper Association Holds Bio-Containment Workshop

Last September, Anna Rodriguez, the IEHA director-at-large swore David Crouch, the director of housekeeping at the Four Seasons Maui Resort at Wailea, as the new Maui chapter president. Photo courtesy of Kevin Curry.

By Sonia Isotov

The new Maui chapter of the International Executive Housekeeper’s Association (IEHA) will hold its inaugural installation of officers along with a workshop on biological containment on Jan. 9.

David Crouch, the executive housekeeper at the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea, will be installed as the first president of the new Maui chapter of the IEHA. The IEHA was originally founded in 1930 in New York City and now boasts 3,500-plus members nationwide. The trade association is for persons employed in facility housekeeping at the management level.

All interested persons, whether from housekeeping, other hotel departments, or the public at large are invited to attend the installation of officers, and a presentation detailing the history of the IEHA on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. at the Lokahi Pacific Pono Center at 1935 Main Street in Wailuku (next to the Historic Iao Theater).

Following the installation of the new board of directors, an hour workshop entitled “Biological Containment in the Workplace” will be offered featuring two experts in the field. John Correa, he market development manager from  Kimberly-Clarke for Hawaii will outline “The Healthy Workplace Project” and ask hotel executives to “take the pledge” and break the chain of germ transmission at their property.

Rounding out the hour, Anthony Nelson, the operations manager for Maui Fire & Flood, a locally-based property restoration company, will deliver specifics on handling “Class III contaminants” such as body fluids encountered in the workplace. Nelson will also narrate strategies in an actual case study to perform surface and high-level disinfection of MRSA.

Interested parties should RSVP to [email protected]. Space is limited. A $5 donation is suggested for the meeting and workshop.  Lunch will be served at the Old Wailuku Grille at 62 North Market Street from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. for $20 and includes entrée, beverage, dessert, tax & tip. Attendees will have a chance to network and talk to the guest speakers.

For more information about the event, contact Kevin at (808) 446-0880. For more information on IEHA, go online to http://www.iehamaui.org.