YWCA to Honor Realtor, Culinary Specialist

A real estate executive and a culinary specialist have been named the YWCA of Hawaii Island’s 2014 Remarkable People.

Sharon Scheele and Audrey Wilson will be honored at a luncheon on Wednesday, April 9, hosted by Hawaii Public Radio reporter Sherry Bracken. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Moku Ola Room of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

Scheele has been involved in Big Island real estate since 1972, three years after arriving in Hilo. She and husband Al Inoue established Inoue Hawaii Realty Corp. in 1978 and were instrumental in converting the Hilo Lagoon Hotel into the residential and condominium now known as Hilo Lagoon Centre.

Scheele has a long history of civic involvement, including serving on numerous community boards.

She has also served as president of the Zonta Club of Hilo and was the first woman president of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce where she led the establishment of scholarship funds for university students. She is also current president of the Board of Junior Achievement of Hawaii Island.

Wilson, who was born and raised in Hilo, retired as cold drink manager at the Coca Cola Bottling Co. in Hilo.

She then transformed her lifelong passion for food into a new vocation which includes a catering business, AJ and Sons. She also writes a food column for a local newspaper, is a guest contributor to the Food Network Magazine and has published three cookbooks.

Wilson is a director of Big Island Wellness Solutions and launched a culinary career starter program at Big Island Substance Abuse Council. She is a culinary arts instructor at Hawaii Community College and for the Junior Chefs program at E.B. DeSilva Elementary School, and has served as president of Hawaii Island United Way.

Both women are past presidents of their Rotary clubs.

For information on tickets to the event contact Rachel Amar at 935-6067, ext. 121, or at ramar@ywcahawaiiisland.org.