General Manager’s Corner
ALOHA OUTRIGGER OHANA, Over the last several years I have had the pleasure of working with so many incredible Outrigger employees. From sta that have only been with us for a short while, to those that have been here for decades, they are all part of my family! So, it’s always hard to see members of your family leave the Club to pursue other opportunities.
Jonothan Saunders has been living on and o O‘ahu since he was 13 years old. Jono has exten- sive knowledge in facilities and has a concrete (no pun intended) background in construction. Jono and his son Sterling (14), love water sports. After talking with them, it sounds like dad is still able to keep up in the water with Sterling, but not by much! Jono also has a tremendous amount of experience working on watercraft. From yachts to one-mans, I think Jono will be a great resource for the Club on and o the water. Both Matt and Jono are excited for the challenge and have exactly what the Club is looking for; they are both eager to support their departments, to learn, and to help continue the proud traditions of the Outrigger Canoe Club.
As you might be aware, Robert Greer, our Facilities Director for the last 15 years, left to pursue other opportunities in April. In addition to his departure, we also lost Shannon Pelkey, our Athletic Director for the last five years. Shannon and her hus- band relocated to Denver for his job. Both Shannon and Robert have been huge assets to the Club and will leave some large shoes to fill. I want to personally thank
both of them for their hard work and commitment. They each left the Club in a great position and we are lucky to have had them both on our team. With that being said, I am extremely happy to in- troduce you to two new members of the team, Matt Tanigawa and Jonothan “Jono” Saunders. Matt has taken over as the Athletic Director and Jono has taken over as the Facilities Director. Matt was born and raised in Kailua and has been around the water his entire life. He is currently go- ing through his recertification as a lifeguard. Prior to joining us at OCC, Matt was the General Manager of the Fitness Center at First Hawaiian Bank. He is also the Head Coach of the Pac-5 Swim Team. Matt and his wife Jenna have two beautiful keiki, a daughter Riley (4), and son Reese (2). Matt worked with Shannon before she left and will continue to work with Shannon for the next couple of months as she supports the Clubs operations remotely and helps set Matt up for success!
Please help me in welcoming both Matt and Jono to the family.
When you see them around the Club, I encourage you to say hello and welcome them.
On behalf of all of the OCC Ohana, I would like to also oer our best wishes to Velma Tanaka on her retirement after 58 years with the Outrigger. The Board of Directors unanimously voted to grant Velma Honorary Membership, so we hope we’ll see her around the Club.
Have a great summer!
Tyler Roukema, General Manager
6 AMA | JULY / AUGUST 2022
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