October 9, 1989 – I arrived home and found two phone messages from friends in Berlin, “You won’t believe it. The East Germans have lifted travel restrictions and people are climbing the Wall at Brandenburg Gate! We wish you were here to see it.” The next day I got on a plane and went to Berlin. I had to be there with my friends and Berliners and be a part of this world changing event in a city I called home from 1982-1984.
I was born in Berkeley and grew up in Lafayette, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. I became a passionate world traveler after spending a summer as an exchange student in Holland. That experience changed my life. After returning to the mainland I knew I wanted to go back to Europe and had to figure out a way to do it. I had an aptitude for languages and heard there was a need for people with language skills in the Air Force. I was accepted into an intelligence training program and became a Cryptologic Linguist. I spent almost a year learning German in Monterey, California at the Defense Language Institute and another 6 months in Texas for intelligence training before heading to Berlin in 1982. I lived in Berlin and worked as a German linguist and flight intelligence reporter before being transferred to the National Security Agency at Ft. Meade Maryland.
Berlin - The fall of The Wall in 1989
It was an exciting and different time to be in Berlin. The cold war was in full swing. Reagan was in office. Students were protesting. The East Germans were shooting citizens attempting to “escape” the country. Berlin was essentially an “Occupied City” with its unresolved post World War II status. Germany was divided and Berlin was an island located in the middle of what was the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik – aka East Germany). The city was divided into West Berlin, which included the American, French and British sectors and East Berlin where the Russians maintained their influence over the communist East Germans. Living was surreal in a world divided by The Wall. West Berlin was vibrant, colorful and exciting. East Berlin was like being in black and white. In the West store windows along the Ku’Damm were lit up and filled with things to buy. A couple of blocks east on the other side of the Wall there were long lines of people waiting to buy rations of meat and bread. As a member of the occupying forces I was allowed to travel between East and West but East Berliner’s did not have that same freedom.
I moved to Georgia in 1986, studied business and marketing at Georgia State University at night and worked in mortgage banking by day. I graduated in 1991 with a Bachelors of Business Administration. While attending college I also worked full-time for First Atlanta Mortgage and then North American Mortgage working as a loan officer, closing clerk, & quality control specialist for several years.
After graduating from college I renewed my passion for travel and spent the next 17 years in sales and marketing working for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Globus & Cosmos, American Hawaii Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. Working in the travel industry was exciting and fun. I made lifelong friends and it gave me opportunities to travel extensively and share experiences with people from all over. One of my most memorable experiences was being at the Berlin Wall the day after it fell in 1989. I shared the experience with my friends, Berliners as they greeted their family members, cousins from East Germany crossing the border into West Berlin for the very first time in their life even though they really only lived a few miles away on the other side of the wall. It was an experience I will never forget. I don’t think people appreciate how different it really was then and how much more freedom there is today compared to just a few years ago. We’ve come a long way.
Scott Innes Crystal Symphony 1997
I’ve held positions as Regional Sales Manager and web marketing consultant for luxury cruise line – Crystal Cruises. The Crystal attitude captures the spirit of excellence by anticipating guests needs and delivering exceptional service. It’s the way I like to be treated and it’s what I expect of myself in service to others. My goal is to make every client feel special. I try to anticipate their needs and give them more than they expect. The best reward is the appreciation and loyalty I get from former clients who I now call my friends.
My first trip to Maui was in 1986. In 1992 I started working as Regional Sales Representative for American Hawaii Cruises, covering 6 states based out of Atlanta including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. I assisted travel agents and group operators selling Hawaii. I did presentations to potential groups and hosted travel agents and their clients on trips to Hawaii to share the experience and culture. I loved it and learned a lot about the islands and the people. I had a passion for Hawaii and especially for Maui. I knew I wanted to live here someday.
Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo
After September 11th, 2001 it changed the face of the travel industry and I decided to get my real estate license. In 2002 I made the move to Maui with my partner Donnie. Shortly after arriving on Maui I was offered a position as Director of Sales and Marketing for Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and spent 3 years growing their business in Hawaii while working part-time in real estate. In 2005 I shifted my focus full-time to Maui real estate.
I feel very grateful for the experiences I’ve had. I have a passion for helping people and I thrive on the positive feedback and appreciation I get from giving them more than they expect. I love living life on Maui.
