OPA’s Mendiola is employee of the year

Passion for work and a fervent drive to hone her skills have earned a senior analyst at the Office of the Public Auditor the distinction of being the 2005 Government Employee of the Year.

Kimberly M. Mendiola received the award, as hundreds of government workers celebrated Labor Day at the American Memorial Park on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2005. David Reyes Maratita of the Department of Commerce was given this year’s Leadership Award.

Mendiola bested over 30 other nominees, who were selected as Employee of the Year by their respective departments or agencies.

“My initial reaction was disbelief. Not a lot of people understand what OPA does. We’re a small agency and the award usually goes to larger departments,” Mendiola said.

She admitted being the last one at OPA to know about her award.

“It turns out that they [co-workers] knew about it all along. [Public auditor] Mike [Sablan] has known it for two to three weeks. They all kept it from me. Everything was a surprise,” she added.

Mendiola’s co-workers flew in her mother, Lydia Mendiola, from Rota so she could witness the awarding.

A University of Hawaii graduate with degrees in finance and marketing, Mendiola has years of experience in the private sector.

She joined the OPA as an analyst in May 2002. Aside from taking part in OPA-sponsored training programs, she also participated in a five-week performance auditing workshop sponsored by the South Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions in Apia, Samoa where she became certified as a performance audit trainer.

Through her personal efforts, Mendiola became the first individual in the CNMI to be named a “certified internal auditor” by the Institute of Internal Auditors on Jan. 15, 2005.

“The prestigious CIA designation is awarded to audit professionals who have met the rigorous requirements of the Institute’s Certified Internal Auditor program, including a challenging four-part examination, as well as high standards of character, education, and experience,” according to OPA.

Only 3,300 of the 21,000 candidates in November 2004 successfully earned the CIA designation, which is accepted and recognized in the United States and internationally.

“I paid for everything to earn that certification; I used my personal time. I am thankful that they were able to recognize it,” Mendiola said.

She was promoted to the position of senior analyst in May 2005. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in accounting.

Public auditor Michael Sablan said he is very proud of Mendiola’s achievements. “She has a strong interest in improving her skills. She has worked very hard and she has made significant achievements,” he said.