Addendum: Getting personal with Rob Alston

If you could be anywhere in the world where would you be? If it was just me, I would love to be in a helicopter with my snowboard being dropped at the top of a steep pitch covered in powder or surfing in warm water with no wind. But, at the end of the day, I would love to be on my boat with my family on Lake Tahoe, enjoying some warm summer weather, or at the family ranch and farm on the Big Island of Hawaii.
 

What’s your favorite album/band/singer? I have extremely varied taste in music from alternative to hip-hop, classic rock to reggae, country to punk, so picking one album, band or singer would be disingenuous.

The best concert I have ever attended: Pearl Jam opening for U2 at Aloha Stadium. Eddie Vedder performed “Hawaii ’78,” which is my favorite song, live. My wife was pregnant with our first child, Turner, at that concert, and the tickets we had were standing room only, so it wasn’t exactly her favorite concert!
 

Who or what inspires you? The look in my boys’ (Turner, 8, and Kieran, 5) eyes inspires me constantly and in so many ways; but, most specifically, I am also inspired by my wife and her “Why not?” approach. Sometimes she inspires me to push harder or try something new, sometimes she inspires me to be more calculated as there may be valid reasons “why not” that need to be overcome and sometimes she inspires me to believe in something I might not have believed in otherwise.
 

What do you do to maintain balance between life and work? The best way for me to maintain a good balance is through rigorous scheduling of my time and my family’s time. Absolutely everything is on the calendar, all the time, no exceptions, including play time and activities. Travel with the family also works well. It is a great way to forcibly unplug from work and connect wholeheartedly with my family.
 

What is your favorite cause or charity? At Access, it is a critical part of our vision and commitment to create value for the communities in which we operate and, as a result, we support many causes and charities in many markets. Most recently, at an Access leadership event with nearly 100 Access team members, we worked with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, helping to assemble welcome kits for the “littles” in addition to making a donation that will help place four “littles” with four “bigs.”

Personally, my wife and I support The Tahoe Fund, helping to restore and enhance Lake Tahoe, and our childrens’ educational institutions, Lake Tahoe School and Punahou.