People Briefs
People Briefs
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Economist Wali Osman, formerly the Bank of Hawaii Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu, has joined the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs in Washington, D.C. He "will be a tremendous addition to our team," said Lynn Scarlett, assistant secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget. "The administration has made economic development a top priority for the territories, and I can't think of a better person than Wali to contribute to that effort." -GJ - ADVERTISEMENT - In an astounding and history-making development that is the talk of the Marshall Islands capital city, new Majuro Mayor Riley Albertter slashed his own pay by $13,000 upon taking office in late February-lending credibility to his announced plan of reforming a local government that has been beset by lack of accountability and poor public services. Alberttar is the former chief justice of the Traditional Rights Court. -GJ The Guam office of the U.S. Small Business Administration honored Rita J. Miller, chief executive officer of S.E.T. Pacific, as the 2004 Small Business Person of the Year. S.E.T. Pacific operates and maintains the electrical and water systems for the U.S. Navy and electrical system for Andersen Air Force Base. Also honored were Denise Mendiola, publisher of Real Woman magazine, as Women in Business Champion; and Eric Say, reporter for the Marianas Business Journal, as Small Business Journalist of the Year. -FW Judge Joaquin V. E. Manibusan has vacated his position as judge with the Superior Court of Guam to become a federal magistrate with the U.S. District Court of Guam. The federal court now has two judges in Guam for the first time. Manibusan became a Superior Court Judge in 1995. Judge John Unpingco is the Federal District judge. -FW Philip J. Flores, president and chairman of BankPacific, announced that Fred F. Camacho has joined the bank as the Saipan branch manager and senior CNMI officer. "Fred brings more than 20 years of bank and public sector lending and finance experience to our organization," says Flores. He originally began his banking career with the Bank of America, Saipan, and left them in 1979 to become the Executive Director of the CNMI Economic Development Fund. -GJ In other BankPacific staff movements, Philip J. Flores says that the following bank officials have been promoted to assistant vice president posts: loan servicing manager Lourdes M. Crisostomo, residential loan manager Carmelita C. Gogue, commercial lending official Anthony C. Barcinas, central processing center manager Norma Jean C. Flores, Dededo branch manager Eleanore P. Cruz, and Hagatna branch manager Mary Jane Q. Cruz. Compliance, security and human resource officer M. Diane Shjegstad was promoted to vice president. -GJ In his role as chairman of the National Council on Environment and Sustainable Development, Federated States of Micronesia Vice President Redley Killion gave a speech at a recent Marine Protected Areas enforcement workshop between Pohnpei and Palau that was lauded by conservationists as signaling the nation's efforts to set a place at the table for the environment sector in the start of the second Compact of Free Association period. Killion opened his talk with an overview of the FSM national biodiversity strategic action plan, a document that will guide the nation's activities to fulfill obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity. -OW The man who piloted the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that took off from Tinian Island in the Northern Marianas on Aug. 6, 1945 to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan during World War II is returning to Saipan for the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Saipan by U.S. forces. General Paul Tibbets (retired) will be the keynote speaker in the mid-June celebrations. Surviving World War II veterans and their families who fought in the Marianas campaign are expected to attend the weeklong festivities. -FR Leilani Reklai stepped down from her 10-year tenure as Palau's first executive director of the Chamber of Commerce on January 31. Reklai had managed family-owned businesses and acted as executive director of both the Chamber and the Belau Tourism Association for several years. Kathy Francisco relinquished her position as administrative assistant of the Department of Fish and Wildlife in the Ministry of Justice, to become the Chamber's new executive director. -NC Tongan Prince Tu'ipelehake continues to make headlines with his outspoken comments about the need for reform. "What is most important to be done right now is for the chiefs, the government and the people of Tonga to be united in our search for the ultimate solution to the problem, which is beginning to come over us like a black cloud," he said at the opening of a Tongan Human Rights and Democracy Movement workshop in February as reported on the Matangi Tonga Web site. "It is urgently needed for us to decide on ways to improve the current status of our government." The prince says the problems facing Tonga are escalating and it is critical for all Tongans to come together and "be united in our search for a solution to our problems." -GJ New Zealander director Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King swept 11 Academy Awards, including the coveted "best film" and, for Jackson, "best director." Radio Australia reports that Prime Minister Helen Clark says it's a huge boost for the entire country. "It's an unbelievable profile for New Zealand," she says. "I'm sure you couldn't buy that sort of publicity." -GJ Auckland-based Tongan democracy activist Alan Taione was arrested at the airport in Nuku'alofa on arrival in late February for distributing copies of Taimi 'o Tonga (Times of Tonga), one of several newspapers that have been denied licenses by the Tongan government in its crackdown on the free press. His court hearing conflicted with a royal funeral held for the King's son, Maatu Fatafehi, at the end of February, so his court appearance was delayed while he was held in jail. He was later released and was awaiting a March 24 court hearing. -GJ
Fred M. Zeder, the U.S. government's chief negotiator for the first Compact of Free Association with the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia, died on March 12 in California at the age of 82. A fighter pilot in World War II, Zeder was a successful businessman in Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. In 1982 he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to be chief negotiator for the negotiations that led to implementation of the first Compacts in 1986 and an end to the U.S. Trust Territory administration of these islands. -GJ Guam's Republican Party elected new officers February 21. Philip Flores, CEO of BankPacific, was elected chairman. He defeated incumbent Dave Sablan. Other officers are: Arseni Pilarca, vice chairwoman; Orpha Matanane, second vice chairwoman; former Senator Eddie B. Calvo, national committeeman; Mary C. Torres, national committeewoman; Frank Toves, treasurer; and Christine Arces, secretary. -FW Michael Schuster, a well-known specialist on Asia-Pacific arts, is the new curator of the East-West Center Gallery. Schuster, who served from 1999-2002 as Hawaii's folk arts coordinator, will coordinate gallery exhibits and other programs at the Center. The former curator, Jeannette "Benji" Bennington, will continue as a senior consultant for the Center's Arts Program. -GJ Northern Marianas Governor Juan N. Babauta has nominated Commerce Secretary Fermin M. Atalig to be the new secretary of the Department of Finance. Atalig, if confirmed by the Senate, will replace Frankie B. Villanueva, who resigned in early 2003. Atalig, 56, was formerly chairman of the board of regents of the Northern Marianas College. He was also the principal of Rota High School and former chairman of the Civil Service Commission. -FR The head of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA told nuclear test survivors in the Marshall Islands during the 50th anniversary commemorations of the March 1 Bravo hydrogen bomb test at Bikini that it was a "very important moment in history" and "Americans need to hear your voice." Rev. Robert Edgar, the general secretary of the New York-based National Council of Churches-which represents 50 million members in 36 major churches-was in Majuro heading a high-powered team of religious leaders from the U.S. that included top officials from the United Church of Christ and the Methodist Church. He said the American church groups are supporting the cause of the islanders for fair and just compensation. -GJ Northern Marianas Superior Court Associate Judge Ken Govendo, a frequent critic of uncontrolled development before becoming a judge, didn't mince words in criticizing past and current political leaders about protecting the environment. In his remarks before employees of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources on February 20, Govendo said the lack of political will by local leaders has resulted in pollution to the environment, from beaches to roads and the seas around the islands. There are laws and regulations in place but there is lack of enforcement. Yet the government continues to invite outside investors to the CNMI without proper infrastructure in place, Govendo maintains. -FR Contributors: Giff Johnson, Frank Whitman, Olivier Wortel, Frank Rosario, Nancy Chism and Floyd K. Takeuchi.
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