ABOUT HAWAII INVITATIONAL
A Spring Break tradition since 1980, the Hawai’i Invitational International Music Festival is the proud sponsor of one of the largest parades on the Islands, the spectacular “Salute to Youth” Parade.
Jay Johnson
Founder, Hawaii Invitational
While working for his degree in Business Finance, Jay began working at the family owned At Your Service Travel Advisors in 1985. When he graduated four years later, Jay decided to “stick around” a bit longer before he went off to conquer the world in a job of high finance. He realized planning vacations and incentive travel for business travelers was a fun and enjoyable profession. And so began a long career in the travel industry. In 1997, Jay purchased the company and changed the name to Hawaii Invitational . That same year, Jay applied for and was granted membership into the elite travel organization, Virtuoso (formerly API). Rather than focus on mass market travel packages, Jay decided the path to an enjoyable career and a healthy balance sheet, lay in the luxury travel market.
Stephanie Louzil
Group and Festival Coordinator
Stephanie started her travel industry career in public relations at a five-star, five-diamond luxury resort in Southern California. There, she realized that her attention to detail, passion for planning and desire to explore worldwide destinations were best suited for a career in travel advising, and was fortunate enough to start her role with Coastline Travel in October 2015. After a brief stint on the leisure travel side of the agency, Stephanie began assisting her director, Carla, in planning and hosting corporate group trips for Fortune 500 companies to destinations around the globe, and hasn’t looked back since. Today, Stephanie manages Coastline Travel’s corporate and student group travel, and loves every minute of it.
Carla Crittenden
Festival Coordinator
Carla began at At Your Service Travel Advisors in 1979, right out of college as the assistant bookkeeper. From these humble beginnings, Carla emerged as the Director of Festivals for Hawaii Invitational. In 1997, the Hawaii Invitational was a struggling venture that that consisted of one local high school band going to Hawaii to “compete” with other bands. Well, it’s pretty hard to compete when you’re the only band in town. Carla took over the reins of the Hawaii Invitational, using her incredible accounting mind, and has transformed this once dormant festival into the most exclusive, and by far the largest high school music festival in Hawaii. Over the decades, she has attracted hundreds of bands and auxiliary units to the Aloha State. The Hawaii Invitational has garnered the attention of major media outlets throughout the world!
Corkie Keys
Festival Coordinator
Corkie began a career in pageantry in middle school as a “letter girl” in The Music Man Youth Band in SoCal. She was later a charter member of her high school’s color guard and served as captain for three years. Over her 30+ year teaching career since then, Corkie has taught colorguard at all levels from beginner junior high students to Drum Corps International finalists. Aside from her current role as Festival Coordinator, Corkie is also the director and head instructor for a local high school colorguard, an Auxiliaries caption parade and field adjudicator with the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association, and an adjudicator for the Winter Guard Association of Southern California. She also teaches several other color guards.