Dr. Richard Kelley
Dr. Richard R. Kelley is Chairman of the Board Emeritus of Outrigger Enterprises Group. He served as Outrigger’s President until 1988, Chief Executive Officer until 1993 and Chairman of the Board until 2011.
In addition to his roles with Outrigger, Dr. Kelley has long worked tirelessly with government, labor and private industry to strengthen Hawaii’s visitor industry, business community and economy.
Dr. Kelley is frequently called upon by the media to provide an expert’s perspective on the tourism industry, and he has contributed insightful articles to business and trade publications. He also speaks regularly in local, national and international forums.
Dr. Kelley has received numerous honors. SMEI Honolulu (Sales & Marketing Executives International) named him Sales Person of the Year in 1994 for his “profound and extensive contributions to developing the State of Hawaii as a tourist destination and as a desirable place to live and work.” SMEI also named Dr. Kelley “the father of the convention center” for his leadership in efforts to develop the Hawaii Convention Center. Earlier, the Hawaii Chapter of the American Marketing Association named him Marketer of the Year (1985). The Hawaii Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, honored Dr. Kelley with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. In 2004, he was presented with the Legacy in Tourism Award from the University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management and the “O in Life” Award, the highest honor given by Punahou School, the nation’s largest coeducational independent school. He was elected to the Hawaii Business Hall of Fame in 1993.
Dr. Kelley serves on the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council. He is past Chair of the Hawaii Business Roundtable and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Born in Honolulu, Dr. Kelley is a graduate of Punahou School, Stanford University and Harvard Medical School.