Celebrating Local Unsung Heroes: 2024 Hospitality Heroes Awards Spotlight Noteworthy Citizens
SEATTLE (January 23, 2025) Explore Seattle Southside (Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority)—the regional destination marketing organization for SeaTac, Tukwila, and Des Moines—is proud to announce the winners of its 3rd annual Hospitality Heroes Awards Program.
Explore Seattle Southside is highlighting how hard-working everyday people make a huge difference in our community. This year, nine Hospitality Heroes across a variety of roles in the hotel, retail, and transportation hospitality industry were celebrated for their hard work, selflessness, and contributions to their teams at the annual SEA Luncheon hosted by the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce on January 23, 2025 (rescheduled from 2024).
To underscore the importance of the hospitality sector and the employees who support it in the region, it is worth noting that visitors to Seattle Southside contributed more than $969 million to the local economy in 2023. Accordingly, tourism provides employment for over 5,000 individuals in Seattle Southside. The economic influence of tourism is evident across all our communities, so it is with great pleasure that Explore Seattle Southside honors some of the local leaders who contribute to the success of our region and its communities.
Congratulations to this year’s winners, who were nominated by their teammates and managers to be put forward for the award.
2024 Seattle Southside Hospitality Heroes winners:
Gifty Eghan: Customer Service Agent, Alaska Airlines
Myunghee Ji: Pathfinder, Port of Seattle
Scott Wilkins: Harbormaster, City of Des Moines
Dave Sousa: Volunteer, Highline Heritage Museum
Mehdi Jumale: Owner, Tawakal Supermarket + Halal Grocery + Deli
Christina Arokiasamy: Founder, Culture Generation; SeaTac Culture and Food Tours
Kurt Carino: Lead Banquet Server, Skybridge Seattle Airport Hotel
Junie Antonio: Houseman Supervisor, Hilton Seattle Airport
Sayveonce Smiley: Director of Sales, SeaTac Airport Hotels
For full nomination text for each winner, photos, and more information on the program, visit: https://www.seattlesouthside.com/hospitality-heroes/hospitality-heroes-2024/
About Explore Seattle Southside
Explore Seattle Southside (Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority) has a bold vision to reimagine the way people travel. Established 25 years ago in 1999, Explore Seattle Southside (Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority) is the destination marketing organization for the cities of SeaTac, Tukwila, and Des Moines. Also known as the curiously wonderful destination for exploring the Pacific Northwest, Explore Seattle Southside showcases the Seattle Southside region with pride and imagination as an ideal travel destination for leisure and business travelers to explore Western Washington and as an idyllic place for meeting and event planners to hold their events. Explore Seattle Southside is funded by a Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) assessment and was recognized in 2023 and 2024—thanks to a commitment to empowering employees and an ambitious vision for the future—as one of Washington State’s Top 100 Best Workplaces.
###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ashley Comar
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications
P: 206-556-0023
E: ashley@seattlesouthside.com
www.seattlesouthside.com