Djuan Rivers
Encyclopedia
Djuan Rivers is the Vice President and General Manager of the forthcoming Disney Aulani Resort & Spa
in Hawaii
.
where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics
in 1987.
. Rivers held a number of positions and helped lead the opening of six resorts in Florida and three resorts at Disneyland Paris. In 2005, he was named Vice President of Downtown Disney (Florida)
. In 2007, he was named the Vice President for New Business Development for Disney’s Parks and Resorts division.
In 2008, he was made the Vice President of Disney’s forthcoming Aulani Resort and Spa, making him one of the most senior African-Americans in the Walt Disney Company. In addition to overseeing the $800,000,000 construction project, Rivers is also charged with building ties with local communities and government officials along with learning about the native Hawaiian culture, in order to authentically integrate it into the resort. Rivers is committed to incorporating environmentally friendly initiatives into the resort's design and construction. He is also one of the Executive Champions of the Disney VoluntEARS program.
, the highest mountains on each continent. In October 2008, Rivers was one of the first people to participate in a HALO skydive over Mount Everest, incidentally making him the first African-American to do so.
Aulani
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa is a beachside hotel, resort and vacation destination at the Ko Olina Resort & Marina in Kapolei on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Part of the Disney Vacation Club, it is the third Disney Vacation Club Resort located outside of a Disney theme park property...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Background
Djuan Rivers (born 1965) is an Orlando native and attended Emory UniversityEmory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1987.
Career with the Walt Disney Company
He is a 20 year veteran of the Walt Disney Company. Having started at an entry level managerial position, he worked his way up to become the General Manager of Disney's Wilderness LodgeDisney's Wilderness Lodge
Disney's Wilderness Lodge is a resort hotel located at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on May 28, 1994. The resort is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts....
. Rivers held a number of positions and helped lead the opening of six resorts in Florida and three resorts at Disneyland Paris. In 2005, he was named Vice President of Downtown Disney (Florida)
Downtown Disney (Florida)
Downtown Disney is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Downtown Disney is open to the public, requires no admission fee, and offers complimentary parking and transportation to all Disney-operated Walt Disney...
. In 2007, he was named the Vice President for New Business Development for Disney’s Parks and Resorts division.
In 2008, he was made the Vice President of Disney’s forthcoming Aulani Resort and Spa, making him one of the most senior African-Americans in the Walt Disney Company. In addition to overseeing the $800,000,000 construction project, Rivers is also charged with building ties with local communities and government officials along with learning about the native Hawaiian culture, in order to authentically integrate it into the resort. Rivers is committed to incorporating environmentally friendly initiatives into the resort's design and construction. He is also one of the Executive Champions of the Disney VoluntEARS program.
Personal
Rivers serves on the Board of Directors of the Child & Family Service charity of Hawaii and the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii. He is known for being an avid sportsman, as he is attempting to climb the Seven SummitsSeven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:...
, the highest mountains on each continent. In October 2008, Rivers was one of the first people to participate in a HALO skydive over Mount Everest, incidentally making him the first African-American to do so.