New CPA executive director debuts

Leo B. Tudela made his first appearance as the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s new executive director during last Tuesday’s CPA board meeting, during which he was immediately tasked to address many of the long-standing problems the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport faces.

CPA chair Jose Ayuyu introduced Tudela at the meeting and said in a later interview with reporters he is excited to see what Tudela will do and what he will accomplish in his tenure as executive director.

Ayuyu acknowledged that there are high expectations for Tudela, and he wishes him all the luck as there are many challenges he will soon face. “The expectation is very high. I wish him luck because this isn’t an easy position. …Maybe he will need some help, but it’s very important that we support him. The board is here for him anytime,” he said.

In Tudela’s first board meeting, he was immediately thrown into the deep end of the pool and was tasked to fix many of the Saipan airport’s problems “sooner rather than later.” Some of those problems include infrastructure, repairs, improvements, and more.

“This is my first meeting with the board and I got to tell you, it was an exciting board meeting. We discussed [what] they want out of me here at CPA regarding our ports, our terminals for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota,” he said.

When asked what his first course of action would be as CPA executive director, Tudela said he intends to thoroughly assess the problems at the CNMI ports and determine which should be addressed immediately.

“My goal is to assess the entire situation of our ports and see what the best steps we could take in regards to our infrastructure. I believe there are issues that should be resolved right away. [For example] the leakage at the airport, to me, is minor but very important for our tourists. Also, the plants, the grass, the pushcarts, they could be improved,” he said.

As for his goals as the new executive director, Tudela said one of the things he hopes to accomplish is to get more grants to improve the CNMI ports, and to improve accessibility at the CNMI airports, especially for those with disabilities.

“One of the most critical things I want to address right now is revenue and expense. We cannot operate without revenue. Currently I’m looking at getting grants to improve our airports from solar grants, and more. Also, I want to better accommodate our traveling public that are persons with disabilities by improving accessibility. I was thinking maybe an escalator or installing more ramps at the terminals,” he said.

He asks all CPA staff to cooperate with him and to respect one another as he transitions into his new role.

Leo B. Tudela