Culturally Appropriate Fire Response
December 9 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Malia Sanders, Executive Director, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
Mālia Sanders serves as the Executive Director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. Her work has impacted Hawai‘i’s visitor industry by utilizing Hawaiian cultural values as the foundation for professional development and business leadership.
Through consultation, training and networking, her organization supports those who provide authentic experiences to Hawaiʻi’s visitors. Mālia has recently been recognized with the 2022 Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year Award and featured as one of AIANTA’s Native American Leaders in Cultural Heritage Tourism.
She is a founding member and Alakaʻi of ʻAha Pūlama Pāʻū Hololio, a Hawaiian Pāʻū Riding Club, the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, and the Chair of the annual Holokū Ball. Mālia is an experienced horseman and enjoys her time with her ʻohana.
Summer Lee Haunani Sylva, Chief of Staff, Board of Trustees, Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Summer Lee Haunani Sylva acts as the Chief of Staff for the OHA Board of Trustees. Ms. Sylva is a highly respected attorney and Native Hawaiian advocate, and brings a wealth of experience in governance, cultural stewardship, and advocacy for Native Hawaiian rights to this critical role.
Sylva most recently served as a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of the Interior under then-Secretary Deb Haaland. Sylva played a key role in advancing Indigenous rights and addressing issues critical to Native Hawaiians and other Indigenous peoples.
Prior to her tenure in Washington, D.C., she led the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation as Executive Director, spearheading efforts to protect Native Hawaiian rights and natural resources. Sylva is also the former President of the Native Hawaiian Bar Association. A graduate of the Cornell University School of Law, Sylva has devoted her career to empowering Hawaiian communities and championing equity and cultural preservation.
Dawnielle Tehama (Moderator), Education and Business Development Director, American Indigenous Tourism Association
Dawnielle Tehama is a Modoc tourism professional and enrolled citizen of the Klamath Tribes with extensive experience in stewardship and Indigenous tourism. She currently serves as Education and Business Development Director with the American Indigenous Tourism Association, having previously assisted with strategic planning and community engagement as a Senior Associate Principal at Coraggio Group. As a DMO leader, she focused on regenerative travel and diversity initiatives.
After law school, she owned small businesses before finding her passion in tourism, where she helped form a Destination Management Organization in Southern Oregon and became a liaison to her tribe. Her career includes overseeing global marketing for the Hualapai Tribe at Grand Canyon West, developing an early economic development plan for the Hopi Tribe, and working with multiple tribal organizations including Grand Ronde, Siletz, and Klamath Tribes.
She holds a Class III gaming license in three states and has been a speaker for prestigious organizations like The World Travel and Tourism Council regarding Indigenous tourism. Dawnielle’s credentials include being a Certified Diversity Tourism Professional, Certified Autism Specialist, graduation from the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy, and recognition as Woman of the Year from the National Tour Association. She Chairs the National Tour Association’s DEI Advisory council, is a member of the Tourism Cares Program Committee and has served as a Climate Champion within the Expedia Sustainable Destination DMO program.
In all her work, she remains dedicated to unifying stakeholder voices while promoting stewardship that sustains communities for generations.