Liz Smith has been our marketing manager since December, 2015, and she is one of our surf school managers as well.
The manager role is currently served on a six months on, six months off basis.
Gina Mills, who is also one of our surf instructors, was the manager during the entire busy summer season, and this week, turns the reins over to Liz!
Read more about Liz below:
How did you first become involved with Maui Surfer Girls?
Liz in the first women’s surf camp – to the right of the board.I went to high school at Seabury Hall with Dustin, although we were a couple years apart, but we reconnected when we were both on the alumni board a few years back. Then she posted that she was hosting a women’s surf camp and I jumped on the opportunity! I hadn’t surfed very much, so I was looking forward to spending some quality time on the water. But I quickly realized that camp wasn’t just about the surfing. As an adult, bonding so closely with a group of women was such a life-changing experience. All of the Maui Surfer Girl staff is so amazing… when Dustin asked me to come on board (pun intended), I just had to say yes!
I’ve been working in PR and Marketing for several years now, and working with a company with such an amazing story to tell is just a dream! I don’t have to come up with angles or hooks, I just tell the story of what we do so well, and the rest comes easy!
This spring I served as the surf school manager for a few months, which involves scheduling the instructors and replying to all the email inquiries, and I really enjoyed it! I’m excited to put the surf school manager hat back on.
That’s me in the middle!How did you get into surfing?
I’ve been involved with water sports my whole life, sailing and windsurfing when I was young, even helping out at a windsurfing camp in Hood River when I was only 14 years old. When I was in college, I taught sailing in Maine, Massachusetts and the Caribbean. I also sailed competitively for my college, Connecticut College. When I returned to Maui just after college, I taught windsurfing for two years with HST (Hawaiian Sailboarding Techniques). I haven’t been windsurfing in many years, but I’ve enjoyed stand up paddling and now regular surfing that I’ve had such good coaching! I always love getting back on the water when our women’s camps are in session. Surfing surrounded by other inspirational women is just next level!!!
Learning to Windsurf with HST, the company I later taught for… circa 1990 My dad windsurfing way back in the day! I think a lake somewhere in New England.
How did you get into marketing?
I have a degree in Environmental Studies, so after my stint as a windsurfing instructor, I got a job at Maui Ocean Center as a naturalist. After about two months, I applied for the job of Public Relations Assistant, which I got. Soon afterwards I was running the public relations department, and my final year there, I managed the marketing as well. Since my oldest child was born, almost 10 years ago, I’ve been working as a freelance marketing consultant. I’ve worked for companies such as Pacific Whale Foundation, Kim McDonald Art and Dazoo Restaurant.
Me and Cuba Gooding Jr. at Maui Ocean Center!
Working for Maui Surfer Girls is the perfect combination of my love of water sports and experience in marketing. Plus I love the mission of empowering females in this company.
How can we contact you?
You can email me at [email protected] or connect with me through Facebook and Instagram @mauisurfergirls
My happy place The end of our first women’s camp