Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/34521
DJUAN RIVERS Vice President, DisneyVacation Club and Resort, Hawaii R ivers is a 22-year veteran of TheWalt Disney Company. He has worked in various roles throughout the organi- zation, preparing him well for his current position as vice president of Disney Vacation Club and Resort, Hawaii, over- seeing Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii. As Walt Disney Parks and Resorts begins its resort development in Hawai‘i, Rivers is responsible for leading the strategic business direction and opera- tion of the family friendly destination resort on O‘ahu. He also serves as the interface between Aulani, the Hawaiian community and his internal partners around the world. Prior to his current role, Djuan served as the Vice President of New Business Development for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts where he worked on a broad range of new business initiatives to drive continued growth for the segment. Additionally, he has served as the vice president and general manager for the Downtown Disney area at the Walt Disney World Resort where he oversaw the resort’s premiere retail, dining and entertainment district. He was also the general manager of Operations for the Disney Reservation Center, a 2,000 seat multi-site con- tact center. Over the past 20 years with the company, he has assist- ed with the opening of six resorts in Florida and three resorts at Disneyland Paris. In 1998, Rivers accepted his first executive position as the general manager of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. He was also general manager of Disney’s All-Star Resort, Disney’s largest resort with 5,700 rooms. He gained additional experience as the hotel director on the 2,700-passenger, 87,000-gross ton vessels, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. In Rivers’ first position with the company, he worked as an entry-level manager on the opening team of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Rivers has always valued his commit- ment to the community, and his time in Hawaii has been no different. He cur- rently serves on the board of directors of Child & Family Service and the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii. In Florida, he has volunteered through Disney’s Reading Together program and the Orange County School system as a mentor for the COMPACT program, working with at-risk students from Dr. Phillips High School. He was also nom- inated as the Walt Disney World representative for the YMCA Black Achievers program in 1998, where he still participates as a member of the Board of Directors and served as the executive champion for Walt Disney World Resort’s VoluntEAR program. Rivers brings the same boundless energy he applies in his work to his personal life. As an avid traveler, he has vis- ited over 40 countries. In his spare time, Rivers enjoys adventure sports like mountain biking, water skiing, skydiv- ing, scuba diving and kayaking, and is now attempting to climb the seven summits – the highest peak on each conti- nent. Rivers attributes his success to his tenacious pursuit of excellence in his service to Disney’s Guests and Cast Members, his ability to identify with all levels of leader- ship and his strong passion for the hospitality industry. Rivers is a native Floridian. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and is a graduate of the Executive Management Program at the Crummer School of Business at Rollins College. 18 Black Meetings & Tourism May/June 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com