Mendiola-Long joins APAFS board of governors 

Phillip Mendiola-Long

HAGATNA, Guam—The Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies is pleased to announce that Phillip Mendiola-Long, chairman of the Marianas Public Land Trust, has joined the APAFS board of governors.

He assumed the position of Vianney Hocoq, MPLT chairman, Board of Trustees, upon completion of his term.

Involved in trade in the Asia Pacific Region for over 20 years, Mendiola-Long lives and works in the U.S, Pacific Islands just west of the Philippines.

Quaintly known as “the only U.S, City in Asia,” the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is a U.S. territory north of Guam which is just three-five hours away from the world’s fastest-growing Asia Pacific Economies.

Appointed in 2009 by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as a Hawaii/Pacific District Export Council representing the Western Pacific, Mendiola-Long has served three successive terms and has been extremely successful in promoting U.S. Trade and Exports throughout the region.

Most recently, he is credited with establishing one of the U.S. Pacific’s newest USCIS EB5 Regional Centers, the American Northern Marianas Regional Center which will fund Bridge Investment Group’s 5-star hotel/resort project which is forecast to invest over $140 million in foreign capital development and create over 4,000 jobs.

Mendiola-Long’s career has been rich and diverse as he previously has been appointed to positions such as chief of staff and chief financial officer for a U.S. city, chairman of a $100-million state trust fund, board member for a U.S. free trade zone, board member for a U.S. hospital, and is a former elected city councilman for the Municipality of Tinian and Aguiguan in the CNMI.

In 2019, Mendiola-Long was appointed by the governor of the CNMI to serve as a board member on the State Board of Education. More recently, in 2023, Mendiola-Long was appointed by Gov. Arnold I/ Palacios and confirmed by the Senate as a trustee for the Marianas Public Land Trust for a six-year term.

Mendiola-Long was subsequently elected as MPLT’s chair this year. In addition to his government service, Mendiola-Long served as the former CEO of Bridge Investment Group, LLC, and is currently the CEO and managing director of Sherman Consulting, LLC. Phillip Mendiola-Long joins a distinguished group of 18 fiduciaries of institutional funds from throughout the Asia Pacific region on the APAFS board, including Dr. Wildfred Leon Guerrero, chairman, board of trustees, Government of Guam Retirement Fund, APAFS board chairman; Dr. Patrick Tellei, Ed.D., president of Palau Community College, APAFS board vice chairman; Anna Mendiola, AIF, president, FSM Development Bank, APAFS board secretary; and, Raaj Kurapati, AIFA, CFO, University of Memphis, APAFS board treasurer.

APAFS (www.apafs.org) is a Guam-based 501c3 association whose membership includes institutional investment funds throughout the Pacific Region. Its mission is to promote prudent stewardship and leadership through fiduciary education and to lead advocacy efforts on behalf of its membership. The organization recently celebrated its 20 th anniversary. Annually, APAFS hosts a week-long educational conference in Manila. Notable keynote speakers have included, Fareed Zakaria (CNN host and commentator), Mark Mobius (former Executive Chairman of Templeton), and Marc Faber (author and Swiss investor living in Thailand). (PR)