Alfred Grace became the President and CEO of the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) on February 26, 2013, succeeding Von Orgill who served for 12 years in that capacity. Orgill will begin a new assignment in July 2013 presiding over the California Irvine Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Grace started building his roots at BYU–Hawaii in 1983 when he came to attend school as a freshman. During his years at school, he was able to work in several different areas of the PCC. He started at the PCC as a dancer, and later worked as a technician, tour guide, and light operator. These jobs eventually led him to a sales position in the reservation office. He also worked on the BYU–Hawaii school farm as a student.
Taking a break from school to serve a full-time mission, Grace returned to graduate from BYU–Hawaii in 1988 earning a degree in business with an emphasis on travel management. Before he graduated, the Polynesian Cultural Center offered him a full-time position as an account sales manager. From there, Grace eventually became the Center’s director of sales before leaving in 1994 to work for a major travel company and to start his own consulting business.
In 1998, Grace returned to the PCC as director of sales, and continued to work his way through the ranks until being named President and CEO in 2013.
He understands the mission of the Center and its connection with BYU–Hawaii students. "The Polynesian Cultural Center's commitment remains the same: supporting BYU–Hawaii, and providing gainful employment for students," says Grace. He is the first BYU–Hawaii graduate to serve as president and clearly sees the critical role the students fulfill as they work throughout their education.
Speaking about the BYU–Hawaii students who come to work at the PCC, former president Von Orgill stated the following: "When thinking about the students at PCC, most people immediately think about the performers in the villages, at the luau, and at the night show. Yet, we have students "performing" in over 50 different job classifications, many of which are directly related to their courses of study at BYU-Hawaii, including finance, accounting, management information systems, operations, and marketing. Student employees also serve in supervisory positions, where they gain valuable experience overseeing the work of others. Whatever their roles or job responsibilities are at PCC, each student can apply the theories, concepts, and principles learned in the classroom, and all gain valuable real-life experience.”
With BYU–Hawaii expanding student enrollment, President Grace hopes to create more jobs to be in line with the students’ need for both employment and quality work experience. “Our hope is their work experience, in addition to their degree earned at BYU–Hawaii, will provide them with a competitive edge in securing employment after graduation.”
In addition to its role with BYU–Hawaii, Grace emphasizes the position the PCC fills in the local community, and worldwide, as one of the most popular attractions in the state of Hawaii. "We are very committed to supporting our community, by providing employment opportunities and events all the family can enjoy," he says. "And we will always strive to be a worthy ambassador of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Discover the Polynesian Cultural Center at www.polynesia.com.