By: Naiia Lajoie Joanne Matschuck is a multifaceted woman; from a young age she showed promise in taking hospitality to the next level. While others were playing house to ultimately grow-up to be a homemaker, Joanne was curating a keen interest and skillset in what would ultimately be a tourism empire. She would meld her business savviness with her love of interior design all the while expressing her creativity. Her journey begins in the 60s at the General Roxas Elementary School, where from she graduated in 1967. From there she attended the University of the East for both her high school career and college degree, completing both in 1970 and 1975 respectively. With a Major in Marketing, Joanne went on to work in a travel agency. While this was not her end goal, the job did serve as a perfect platform from which she could learn the ins and outs of the business. In addition to aiding people with their travels, another job would allow for her to do her own. Joanne setup her own business that provided complimentary gifts to corporate clients; likely a skill she learned in having to accommodate her travel clients. The new job entailed having to attend various trade exhibits in multiple countries. In doing so she took note of each culture’s varying design preferences and the shapes that were prominent in their décor, as this allowed her to continuously update her own products in the industry. Her curiosity for cultural differences and taking the time & care needed to differentiate the design spaces culminated into her managing a family resort. While it opened to the public in 2015, the space has existed for three decades prior, just begging for a refresh. Joanne still currently works here, in addition to...... Read more on Full Issue!