MAUI VACATION RENTALS BY MAUI PARADISE PROPERTIES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Revenue and Distribution Manager at MPP
Amber is a Revenue and Distribution Manager at MPP who rather serendipitously found herself on Maui. After a four-and-a-half month stint in Viet Nam, Amber bought a one-way ticket to Oahu. She packed just one 50lb backpack and had never even been to Hawaii. After landing at HNL though, she took one look at the bustling traffic and walked right back inside the airport, On the advice of a Hawaiian Airlines attendant, she bought a ticket to Maui and has been here ever since.
Prior to joining MPP, Amber worked in sales and marketing for the Hyatt and Westin and worked in real estate sales throughout Maui. Before coming to Maui she worked in construction project management in Los Angeles.
Amber has headed youth leadership programs for Maui County and its international sister cities. She is active with a number of non-profits including Grow Some Good (school garden programs throughout Maui) and Soroptimist International (Girl Empowerment Program, Youth Citizenship Award, Junior Youth Citizenship Award, and Women Helping Women).
Before settling down on Maui, Amber traveled and lived in 40 countries. Her most memorable travel experiences include a year in New Zealand, hot air ballooning over the Serengeti, exploring Viet Nam from northern border with China to southernmost island of Phu Quoc, winter's northern lights in Selawik, Alaska, and enjoying fresh homemade spaghetti with olive oil and sea salt with an Italian family in southern Italy.
Candace moved to Maui in 1975 on a one-way ticket, two bags, a bike and $600 in her pocket. That was then. Now she knows the island like the back of her hand and has made an abundance of friends.
Her first job was with Kaanapali Beach Hotel as a cashier selling tickets for the Luau. In 1977 Candace moved to The Whaler as a front desk clerk and in 1978 was hired by Rock Resorts to open the new Kapalua Bay Hotel. She quickly moved up to head accountant supervisor. In 1980 Candace moved to Oahu to help open the Honolulu Club as a cocktail server. After one year she returned to her home on Maui and was hired at the Hyatt Regency Maui as a poolside cocktail server. After 15 years on the deck, she moved behind the bar. Now 18 years later she is still there … "The Closer at Umalu Bar".
Candace received her Real Estate license in 1989. Her specialty has become luxury homes; including private estates, vacation and residential condos throughout Maui. She is also a licensed Massage Therapist specializing in restructuring body alignment and injuries.
Candace loves to travel whenever her busy schedule permits. Her travels have taken her to Bali, Thailand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, the UK and throughout Europe. She has made and retained many friendships throughout her many travels.
Between her very busy schedule Candace still finds time to enjoy her favorite sports like running Marathons and Hawaiian canoe racing! For the past three years she has run the Honolulu Marathon. She ran in the 1st Honolulu Marathon in 1980 and is still running today…"Run Candace Run". Candace began canoe-racing in 1977. Although now retired from canoe racing, she participated in the NYC Hudson River Iron race this in 2014. Her crew were the oldest women in the race…they didn't win, but they didn't lose either. And of course, there's golf, yoga, tennis, swimming, sailing, hiking…. Candace does it all! She says "I can make you a drink, give you a massage and sell you a house all in one day!
Diane Bercik serves as Broker-in-Charge for MPP where she specializes in residential property sales on Maui. In addition to real estate sales, Diane leads digital marketing and social media efforts for Maui Paradise Properties.
Prior to her career in real estate, Diane spent many years managing marketing and business development programs for some of the largest international law firms. She has lived and worked in New York City, London, and Chicago.
Diane is a graduate of Michigan State University. She lives in Paia with her husband Rob, two daughters Eloise & Clementine, and her dog Bender. Diane loves to cook, travel, hike, and spend time at the beach.
Eliot was born in Chicago, Illinois and spent a short period of her childhood there until the family packed up and moved to San Diego, California. She was raised by the beach where she loves to enjoy the sun and time with friends and family. Eliot graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. While away at college, she had the opportunity to study abroad and spend 5 months in Barcelona, Spain and another 2 months in Southeast Asia. After graduation, she got a job doing outside sales for a wine company that had her traveling around all of Southern California. In 2018, she came to Maui to visit a group of friends who had moved here a few years prior and fell in love. It took 2 more visits after that, one in 2019, and one in 2020 to finally make the jump over here. Eliot now calls Maui her home and grateful to be here and to be working with Maui Paradise Properties. She plans to get her real estate license and continue to grow within MPP for years to come.
During her free time, she likes to spend time with the ones she loves most, host dinner parties, snuggle with her cat, and read on the beach.
Job Titles:
- Director of Owner and Guest Relations
- Partner at MPP
Faith Cummins is a partner at MPP and serves as the Director of Owner and Guest Relations. She began her career in real estate in 2003 in Sarasota, Florida. She and her husband moved back to Maui in 2013 and she joined MPP in 2014.
With a greater understanding of the ever-changing Real Estate market through years of experience, she transitioned to Property Management following the recession in 2006. During this time, she helped guide many of her clients through rocky times and maintain their investments through diligent rental management and astute marketing.
Faith says that she found her niche in property management and quickly grew her business by keeping both her guests and clients very satisfied with her marketing and management skills.
In 2010, she joined Jennette Properties in Sarasota, Florida where she personally managed over 65 long and short term rental properties. Many of her clients were international investors and her excellent communication skills made their process of decision making as easy as possible.
Possessing a strong passion for travel and love for the outdoors, Faith and her husband decided to relocate to the place they fell in love, and in 2013 they moved back to Maui. Searching for a position that would provide the professionalism and integrity she experienced in Florida as well as a strong care for the community, she was thrilled to join the team at Maui Paradise Properties. "MPP has a perfect balance of the island lifestyle while maintaining a strong work ethic that provides an excellent experience to both our guests and clients" noted Faith.
Jan Hunter is a Maui based and beach inspired interior designer with over three decades of experience helping clients create their dream spaces. She is dedicated to collaborating with her clients, matching their own unique visions with their budgets and lifestyles. Jan's Hawai'i Real Estate experience enables her to approach the design process with an in-depth understanding of current marketing trends to transform your investment into a showcase island retreat.
Growing up in the artistic small town of Ojai, California, Jan's love for design started as early as she can remember. With a father who was a contractor and a mother who was an interior designer, the ability to see a space for all that it could become rather than simply what it was in the moment has always been a part of her daily life.
After traveling through New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia, Jan and her husband Ross moved back to California to be closer to her family. Her father took Ross under his wings and taught him everything he knew about the construction business. Jan and Ross became a team much like her own parents; passionately creating and renovating while simultaneously growing their family.
Jan became an esthetician and created one of Conde Nast's top 10-day spas in California. A designer at heart, Jan was constantly rearranging and reinventing the space, always having extra fun during the holidays and incorporating a festive flair. Clients were constantly asking her for help with their own home interior decorating. She soon found herself drawn back into the world of interior design where she continues to help clients create spaces that go above and beyond their expectations.
Jan moved to Maui, Hawai'i in 2002, obtaining her Real Estate license and eventually becoming a full-time design consultant. She and her family live in Lahaina close to the ocean where they spend their free time fishing, whale watching, and enjoying long summer days at the beach.
Job Titles:
- Principal Broker, General Manager, IA - Partner
John serves is a partner at MPP and serves as General Manager and Principal Broker.
Before joining Maui Paradise Properties LLC, John was head of Internet Security and New Technology Development for AT&T World Wide. He was with AT&T for over 30 years, and retired in 2008, with a significant background in management, sales, operations, engineering and development along with numerous technical certifications to support it. John has been a real estate investor on Maui since 1997. He is also an Angel Investor and a licensed securities broker and Investment Advisor with Series 7, 65 and 66 financial licenses and has launched and supported other startups currently including Hawaii Financial Marketplace Advisors.
John is a 1978 graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago with a BS Degree in Marketing. He then continued his studies at the Cambridge Institute for Advanced Computer Applications, and also studied at the Novell Education Center where he received a certificate as a Certified Netware Engineer.
John brings extensive experience to Maui Paradise Properties in computer technology and marketing in addition to his diverse background in real estate sales, investments, fractional sales, timeshare sales, and property management. John and his wife Sheri have called Maui home since 2000.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations - Partner
- Partner at MPP
Kelly Hartman is a partner at MPP and serves as Director of Operations. Growing up on a farm in Iowa, Kelly learned the value of hard work and patience.
She graduated from The University Of Iowa with a degree in Finance and Marketing. Kelly moved to Maui following graduation where she began working at The Hula Grill. Her ambition, versatility, and interpersonal skills led her to a position in management. After a few years, Kelly got her Real Estate license and began her career as a Vacation Rental Property Manager. She joined the Maui Paradise Properties team in August of 2016 and is committed to providing our guests and owners with the highest level of personal service, responsiveness, and kindness. When she is not working, Kelly loves to spend time in the ocean, travel, and train for triathlons.
Job Titles:
- New Business Development Manager
Kevin Eliason, with 31 years of Real Estate and Sales experience in Washington and Hawaii has background in Sales, Leadership Training, Mentoring, Financial Planning, Coach and Perent. Kevin enjoys golf, all water sports, travel, seeing family and construction projects to occupy his time outside of the real estate market. He is the father of six amazing children and two unbelievably cute grandchildren. Kevin continues living life happily in every way every day!
Laurie joined Maui Paradise Properties in 2020 in real estate sales and luxury asset management.
Prior to her career in real estate, Laurie spent most of her career in business development and managing multiple unit locations for luxury brands in the retail sector. She has lived and worked in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Chicago.
Laurie is a graduate of Syracuse University and lives in Kahana. When she isn't working, she loves illustrating nature- especially birds, hiking, scuba diving throughout Maui and traveling everywhere.
Job Titles:
- Director of Revenue / Yield Management - Partner
- Partner at MPP
Leo Fimmen is a partner at MPP and serves as its Director of Revenue/Yield Management. Leo earned a BS in Finance in 1999 from the University of Illinois, one of the nation's leading universities in finance.
Upon graduation, Leo moved to Virginia where he and a group of very bright and ambitious friends from college started a small Internet Service Provider (ISP) in 1999. In 2001, the company was sold to a larger competitor. Leo then moved to San Diego where he joined Wright Broadband Group, a cell phone provider in the Southern California area, and served as Director of Finance. He then received an offer to join Primedia, a large magazine publisher of such notable periodicals as Motor Trend, Surfer, Surfing and hundreds of other well-known and popular periodicals. With Primedia, he was a financial analyst, and also created financial models for budgeting, and pricing tools for special advertising projects.
By 2008, Leo grew tired of the corporate grind and decided to move to Maui and try something completely new. For several years he had wanted to work with special needs children and adults, and after moving to Maui, he got the opportunity. Leo began working with autistic and developmentally disabled children and adults, and he managed a group home for two years. He continues to volunteer his time to Neighbors Helping Neighbors (Na Hoaloha) and volunteers his time in other worthy community programs.
Still an entrepreneur at heart, in 2012 Leo decided to try his hand at real estate with his mother and stepfather, Sheri and John Kevan, a co-owner of Maui Paradise Properties, LLC. Together they started a small vacation rental management company, which was incorporated into Maui Paradise Properties in 2013.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources, Real Estate Sales - Partner
Lynda Wynne Lyons has worked in the real estate industry for the past 25 years, both in general Real Estate and for several large development companies, on Maui and the mainland. She is a partner at MPP where she leads the Human Resources department in addition to real estate sales.
Involved in diverse golf course communities on the east coast, Lynda moved to Sunriver, Oregon and was part of the start-up team, as Director of Sales and Marketing for renowned Crosswater Golf Course and community, part of Sunriver Resort.
As the project was being completed, Lynda went to Bend, Oregon as Director of Marketing and Sales for the Brooks Resources Corporation. She worked on all projects from the Awbrey Glen, NorthWest Crossing and Awbrey Butte communities, commercial properties of Shevlin Center, Century Washington and diverse other projects.
Lynda joins our team at Maui Paradise Properties bringing years of project-related and developer sales and marketing experience. Lynda worked as part of the development team for new projects at Maui Land and Pineapple in both Kapalua and Hali'imaile.
Lynda attended Syracuse University and then went straight to New York City, where she created her own marketing, communications and promotions company before moving into real estate.
Lynda enjoys dabbling in art, playing golf, scuba diving, traveling and spending quality time with her husband Russell and son Erick.
Job Titles:
- Coach at the Wailuku Tennis Club
- Director of Finance - Partner
Manny joined the Maui Paradise Properties team in December 2015 as the Director of Accounting.
Leading the Finance team, Manny is responsible for the overall fiscal management and related business management for the company and its property owners consistent with federal and state guidelines. Responsibilities include but are not limited to accounting, business reporting, budgeting/fiscal management, internal controls, tax preparation, and other related tax dispute-resolutions.
Manny has over 25 years of experience providing professional services across a broad range of finance areas including compliance, business process, business advisory, and consultancy. Prior to joining Maui Paradise Properties, Manny held senior finance positions working with not-for-profit and mid-to-large scale local businesses in addition to managing his own business.
Manny earned both Associate Science in Hotel Management and Accounting degrees from the University of Hawaii Maui Campus. He continued his education and pursued his Bachelors Degree in Accounting and completed a Masters Degree in Accounting with a major focus on Taxation from Strayer University.
Manny is a volunteer tennis coach at the Wailuku Tennis Club and Seabury Hall High School tennis team.
Rachael joined Maui Paradise properties in January 2020.
Rachael credits taking on challenging leadership roles in the renewable energy industry, overseeing the residential operations for one of Hawaii's largest solar companies. This role gave her valuable experience working directly with homeowners and understanding the importance of responsive customer service. When she transitioned to the vacation rental industry in 2012, she took on numerous roles overseeing both homeowner relations and guest experience departments. She prides herself on being proactive, service-oriented, and passionate about providing top-notch hospitality with the warm spirit of Aloha.
Rachael is originally from Colorado and has been a Hawaii resident for 16 years. She is grateful to call this paradise her home and currently lives in South Kihei. Rachael considers herself adventurous, and always looking to learn and embrace new experiences. Outside of work, she enjoys spending her time outdoors with her Fiancé John and chocolate lab Luna. Whether being at the beach, sailing, or hiking, she truly loves all that the islands have to offer.
Job Titles:
- Director of Luxury & Asset Management - Partner
- Partner at MPP
Russ is a partner at MPP and leads the Luxury Department and Asset Management Division. He has 12 years of experience in luxury home management.
Russ is heavily involved in the Maui resort and real estate community, particularly in Kapalua where he has served as General Manager of the Kapalua Club since 2004. He is also a Past President of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the professional association for managers of membership clubs.
Russ is originally from North Carolina and graduated with a marketing degree from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. He comes from a military family and as a teenager, lived in Japan and Germany.
In his spare time, Russ enjoys surfing, swimming, hiking, and travel. He lives on the west side with his wife and they have one son.