Marissa Villegas
About Marissa Villegas
Marissa Villegas serves as the Senior Specialist of External Communications at Hawaiian Airlines, where she has worked since 2018. She has successfully transformed negative narratives into positive content during the COVID-19 pandemic and launched the airline's official blog, winning a prestigious award for her efforts.
Work at Hawaiian Airlines
Marissa Villegas has been employed at Hawaiian Airlines since 2018, serving as the Senior Specialist of External Communications within the Corporate Communications department. In this role, she has focused on transforming negative narratives into legacy content during the COVID-19 pandemic through innovative storytelling. She has also conceptualized and founded the Travel Pono (Responsibly) program, which emphasizes responsible travel practices and includes organizing statewide photoshoots and authoring over 15 educational blog posts. Additionally, she launched Manaʻo, the official blog of Hawaiian Airlines, which won the 2019 Koa Anvil Award for Blogs from the Public Relations Society of America – Hawaii Chapter.
Previous Experience in Communications
Before joining Hawaiian Airlines, Marissa Villegas worked as an Account Executive at Bennet Group Strategic Communications from 2015 to 2017. In this position, she managed various communications projects and contributed to strategic initiatives. Prior to that, she served as a Development and Communications Aide at the Honolulu Community Action Program as a full-time AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer from 2014 to 2015. These roles provided her with foundational skills in communications and project management.
Education and Expertise
Marissa Villegas earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Language and Literature from the University of Vermont, where she studied from 2010 to 2014. Her educational background has equipped her with strong writing and analytical skills, which she applies in her current role in corporate communications. Her expertise includes managing complex communications projects, media relations, and content creation.
Achievements in Public Relations
During her tenure at Hawaiian Airlines, Marissa Villegas has achieved notable recognition in the field of public relations. She led public relations efforts and executive interviews with top-tier media outlets for the historic resumption of Hawaiian's nonstop services to Sydney and Auckland. Her work on the Manaʻo blog earned the 2019 Koa Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America – Hawaii Chapter, highlighting her contributions to effective communication strategies.
Project Management and Communication Strategies
Marissa Villegas has implemented a series of new project management tools in her current role, aimed at streamlining processes for media relations, file management, and content distribution. She manages complex communications projects with minimal resources, focusing on video and editorial storytelling, as well as organizing media familiarization trips (FAMs) and presentations to industry partners. Her ability to coordinate multiple projects effectively enhances the overall communication strategy of Hawaiian Airlines.