US Navy’s Johnson to speak at SCC meeting

Rear Adm. Arthur J. Johnson of the U.S. Navy will be this month’s guest speaker at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce June general membership meeting.

The venue for this month’s meeting will be at the Sandcastle Hotel of the Hyatt Regency Saipan. The event is open to the public and all Chamber members are encouraged to attend.

Johnson will be giving a 20-minute presentation about the U.S. Navy in the region. He who graduated with a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where his studies focused on U.S. Business and Government Relationships and Third World Politics.

During the meeting, the four outstanding recipients for the Chamber’s Educational Scholarship Fund will also be announced. Each recipient will receive $2,500 in financial assistance from the business community to help them pursue their education immediately after high school. The purpose of the Chamber’s ESF is to invest in the future generation of the CNMI in hopes of these students returning and contributing in the betterment of the CNMI economy.

The newest members of the Chamber are i-Connect, associate member Scott West, and BFJ Corporation dba Johnny’s Bar & Grill and AJ’s Restaurant.

They will be added to the list of members who can avail of the Chamber benefits including: reduced health care premiums provided by HMO member PacifiCare Asia Pacific; discounts at participating companies such as Hyatt Regency Saipan, Aqua Resort Club, Pacific Islands Club, Capricciosa, Tony Roma’s, Topnotch and other participating establishments; access to Chamber’s member network via fax, newsletters, etc, as well as the resources of the Asia Pacific Council of American Chamber of Commerce and the US Chamber of Commerce, under the Saipan Chamber’s membership in these organizations; a central benefit is the voice that membership buys; a voice that is dedicated to overcoming impediment to the conduct of commerce in the Northern Marianas; collective representation with the CNMI government via the Chamber’s Government Relations and Economic Development program and the Public/Private Efficiency committee; workshops and seminars that provide information to businesses to help them improve the operations of their enterprise in a variety of areas from accounting to employment issues; provide a listing of all members in the Chamber’s directory and internet website free of charge; the Chamber assists with military visits through the Armed Forces committee and coordinates discount packages by Chamber member companies as well as assist with logistics for military arrivals; members can benefit from participating in standing committees, including the Armed Forces, Events, Education, Environmental, and Membership; and Chamber members may also nominate the Business Person of the Year.

The fee to attend the meeting is $12 per person for Chamber members and guests. The doors will be open at 11:30am and the meeting will come to order at noon. The meeting is scheduled to last until 1:30pm.

For those who require special accommodations to attend the meeting, would like to find out how they can become a member of the Chamber, or if they have any inquiries regarding the Chamber, call 233-7150.