A look at the candidates for 2005 board officers, directors

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will be electing its 2005 Board Officers and Directors this Nov. 3, Wednesday, in addition to a presentation on the future of the garment Industry in CNMI.

To accommodate both activities, the lunch buffet at the Hyatt Hotel Sandcastle Room will open at 11am. Cost of buffet is $15. The meeting will start promptly at 11:30am; elections will begin at 11:45pm, with main speakers to begin at noon.

The Saipan Tribune comes out today with the candidates for the various positions open and their brief biographies:

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PRESIDENT

Alexander A. Sablan
Marketing/Administration Manager
Saipan Shipping Company, Inc.

Alex Sablan is currently the Saipan Chamber of Commerce president, and has been an official member representative for approximately 14 years.

Sablan was a three-time chair of the Business Person of the Quarter/Year selection committee, an active member of the Small Business Committee for two years and for a brief stint, sat on the Maritime Committee. Sablan was the Chamber representative for the regional Exclusive Economic Zone forum with Guam delegates and has served as chair of both the Government Relations and Economic Development Committee and the Events Committee.

Sablan is currently serving as a chair or board member for the following organizations: member, Commonwealth Cancer Association; member, Guam Chamber of Commerce Maritime Affairs Committee; 2002 – Present -Board of Director for the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands ; 2002 – Present – Advisory Board for the CNMI Public Radio KRNM 88/89.1 FM; 2002 – 2003 – Chairman for the Past President Council of the Rotary Club of Saipan; 2000 – Present – President for the Association of Seaport Tenants and Operators of Saipan, Inc.; and 1999 – Present – Board Member of the CNMI Contractors Association.

He also previously served as the CNMI representative to the American Cancer Society Guam/CNMI Presence Unit Board of Directors; Chairman, 2000 American Cancer Society Relay for Life Event; President Rotary Club of Saipan 1999 – 2000; Board Member Rotary Club of Saipan 1997 – 2000; and member of the Kagman Komunidat Association.

For the past 14 years, Sablan has held management positions in the transportation industry in Saipan and Guam. He currently works at the Saipan Shipping Company as its marketing/administration manager. Prior to this, he was an owner’s representative for a multi-diversified transportation company: heading Seabridge Micronesia as managing director; Pacific Air Inc., general sales agent for Northwest Airlines Passenger and Cargo Sales, as general manager-Saipan and Micronesia; and Saipan Crew Boats and Saipan Pilots, as general manager. Sablan has also been the general manager of Ambyth Shipping in Saipan.

Sablan is married to Nora Mae Reyes Sablan and has three children Amanda(16) , Kanani (15) and Sean (12).

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VICE PRESIDENT

Richard A. Pierce
Executive Director, Saipan Garment Manufacturing
Association
President/Owner, Safety 1st Systems (Saipan), Inc.

Richard A. Pierce has been an active member of the Chamber. He is the current vice-president of the SCC. In addition, he was the SCC president in June of 2001 until December of 2002. He has also been an SCC vice president, SCC drector, and served as the chairman of the Government Relations and Economic Development committee for several years. During his term as the GREL chairman, he provided timely and detailed updates to our members on critical US-CNMI relations, in addition to valuable insight and knowledge when analyzing local legislation.

Pierce has been a resident of Saipan for over 25 years. He is the president and owner of Safety 1st Systems (Saipan), Inc. for 14 years. He is the former Special Assistant to CNMI Governor for Drugs & Substance Abuse.

Pierce currently holds other positions in the Commonwealth. He is the executive director and an officer of the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association, a former board member of the CNMI Wage Review Commission, the executive director and founder of the Western Pacific Economic Council, a former board member of the Governor’s Free Trade Zone Authority, a board member of the Governor’s Task Force on the 3-Year Limit, co-chairman of the Northern Marianas Alliance for Safety and Health (NMASH), and sits on the boards of numerous corporations.

Pierce is married to Marian Aldan-Pierce, president of DFS Saipan, Ltd. He has three children: Richard, Rebecca, and Erynn.

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SECRETARY

Jay B. Jones
General Manager
Triple J Motors

Jay B. Jones was born and raised on Guam. After graduating from Father Duenas High School, he attended Elon College in North Carolina where he graduated with a B.A. in Corporate Communications.

Upon returning to Guam with his wife Deane, Jones started in Triple J’s management training program, where he held various positions within the company. In 1993, Jones enrolled in the National Dealers Association Management Academy, an intensive year-long course that concentrates on modern automotive management. After graduating from the program, Jones was promoted to the position of sales manager, a position he held until 1997. Jones served as an officer of the Guam Automobile Dealers Association from 1996-1997. In early 1997, he relocated here to Saipan where he manages Triple J’s various operations and serves as general manager of Triple J Saipan, Inc.

Jones and Deane have three children, Jacob (8), Jenna (5), and Jeremy (2). He has served on the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Saipan, Commonwealth Automobile Dealers Association, and the Marianas Racing Association. He currently serves as an officer of the CNMI Free Trade Zone Authority. He was selected as the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s 2001 Business Person of the Year.

Scott Norman
Principal
Calvary Christian Academy

Scott Norman is presently principal of Calvary Christian Academy. He arrived on Saipan in the early months of 1998 and has lived in the CNMI for almost seven years. He and his family moved here from the state of North Carolina.

Norman is married to Marilee Jean and the couple recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. He has six children—five of them are grown and living in the States. His youngest, Priscilla, lives here on Saipan and is currently a junior at Calvary Christian Academy. Marilee is teaching sixth grade at Calvary and serves as the vice president of the CNMI Chapter of the National Forensics League.

Norman received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Studies Education and has been in Christian education with his wife for the past 30 years. He has been a successful administrator for 24 of those years. He successfully ran a small business in North Carolina specializing in small business set up, counseling, accounting, and tax preparation. He taught accounting at a local college for three years.

Before becoming principal of Calvary in 1999, Norman was a full time teacher at Marianas High School where he taught several senior honors classes. He was also the senior class advisor. He is still a member of the Marianas High School Community Council. In 1999, he was asked to be the principal of Calvary Christian Academy and successfully continues in that position today.

Norman is presently President of the Coalition of Private Schools, an organization he helped form in 1999. He also serves as a member of the CNMI State Board of Education and is in his second term as the private schools’ representative to the Board. He is also the league coordinator of the Private School Athletic Association which has provided young people in the Private Schools an opportunity to compete throughout the year in different athletic events. Norman also serves as chairman of the CNMI State Tobacco Prevention and Control Advisory Board. On top of all this Norman finds time to both coach and referee athletic events.

Calvary Christian Academy has been a member of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce since 1992, and Norman has been its Chamber representative since 1999. He is a former director of the Chamber and presently serves as the Chairman of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce Education Committee.

Norman’s hobbies and interest include stamp collecting, cooking, photography, and most outdoor sports and activities (including drowning).

Norman’s desire to serve as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce or director is indicative of his desire to serve. His experience in administration and business has prepared him well for the many tasks he now performs in an island community that he loves and enthusiastically calls home!

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TREASURER

Michael S. Johnson
Managing Partner
Deloitte Touch & Tahmatsu

Mike S. Johnson is the managing partner of Deloitte on Saipan and Palau and has been a resident of Saipan for the past 21 years. Johnson is no stranger to Chamber activities and held the position of Chamber treasurer for three consecutive terms in the early 1990s.

Johnson came to Saipan in 1982 after earning Masters of Business Administration (emphasis in accounting) and Bachelor of Arts degrees at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He is a certified public accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a member of the CNMI Society of Certified Public Accountants and past president of the CNMI Chapter of the Association of Government Accountants. Additionally, Johnson was selected by Bishop Camacho to serve on the financial advisory committee of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. Johnson was recently selected by Gov. Juan N. Baubauta to serve as the first Chairman of the CNMI Board of Accountancy.

Johnson is married to Betty Hamilton. They have three children, Kathleen, Sarah and Andrew. Johnson participates in various sports including golf, kayaking, biking and triathlon.

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DIRECTORS (3 positions open)

Jim Arenovski
President
Delta Management Corp. & Prime Group Inc.

Jim Arenovski has lived in the Marianas since 1987. Originally from Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Arenovski holds a Master’s Degree in Administration from Georgia Southern University.

In 1987, Arenovski came from ITT Sheraton in Savannah, Georgia and started his career in the Marianas with The Inter-Pacifica Group as special projects manager for Pacifica Islands Club and then became the area manager for Domino’s Pizza Group in Guam in 1989

Initially hired by Shell Guam in 1991 as a Commercial Area Manager, Arenovski spent six years with Shell. He was promoted to the position of Saipan Area Manager and eventually became Regional Manager for Shell North Pacific that includes Guam, Saipan and Palau.

In 1998, Arenovski with his two partners formed Delta Management Corp., a management company, which currently operates seven Shell Service Stations (four on Guam and three on Saipan). Delta Management also owns Prime Group, Inc., which is the authorized distributor of pre-paid products, including pre-paid cellular phones and cards and long distance calling cards for Verizon in NMI and Guam.

Arenovski currently serves as the chair of the NMI Crime Stoppers and has been active in this program for over five years. Also a member of the Chamber since 1998, Arenovski is very active on the Education Committee. He is also a coach for the CNMI Youth Soccer Organization.

Arenovski lives on Saipan with his high school sweet heart and wife of nine years, Jill. The Arenovskis have two girls Amy and Nicole.

As a director for the SCOC, Arenovski will seek to promote chamber sponsored job/life skills opportunities for our local youth, in an effort to improve the work skills of entry level employees and work to increase the chambers supported activities for small businesses on Saipan.

Harry Blalock
General Manager
KZMI/KCNM

Harry Blalock has been involved in the Saipan Chamber of Commerce for the past years, previously as station manager for KSAI, and for the past three years as general manager for KZMI/KCNM radio stations.

Blalock attended college at LeTourneau in Longview, Texas, majoring in Business Administration. He has been in the radio business for 23 years now, working at stations in Michigan, and Saipan, doing everything from hosting morning drive programs, to program director, and managing for the past eight years. One of the ways he stays involved in what is going on locally is through his weekly commentary, Food For Thought. He has also been involved in public relations and media consulting with former governors, politicians and private businesses.

Blaclock is currently the president of the Saipan Rotary Club, and has previously served as secretary of the club as well.

Blalock and his wife Kelli will be married for 25 years this coming June, and have two children, Joshua and Sarah. Twenty-one-yea- old Joshua is currently serving in the Air Force and is stationed in Okinawa, while 18-year-old Sarah is a freshman at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Robert B. Hudkins
Vice President/General Manager
Hertz Rent A Car

Bob B. Hudkins has been living in the Marianas for over 20 years. He relocated from New York City where he was stationed as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Hudkins graduated from the American University in Washington, DC in 1973 and spent 12 years with the FBI with his last assignment in Guam. From 1986-1991 he operated his own security consultant business in Guam mainly providing services to the major airlines. In 1991 he permanently relocated to Saipan. He is the owner and president of Pacific Airport Services, which provides security and aircraft cleaning to the airlines. He is the owner and president of AFH, Inc. which operates as an agent for Shell Marianas, Inc. He is an owner and vice president of BFJ, Inc., which operates AJ’s Restaurant and Piano Bar. He is an owner and vice president of Closest to the Pin Enterprises a retailer of Golf Supplies. He is an owner and vice president of Hertz Rent A Car – Guam and Saipan.

Hudkins is an avid golfer and fisherman, having recently acquired the fishing boat “AJ’s”.

Hudkins is married to Merle and they have four children, ages 3-10. His children attend Calvary Christian Academy. He resides in Gualo Rai.

David M. Sablan
President
Century Insurance Company, Ltd.

David M. Sablan started his business career in 1952 with Atkins, Kroll in Guam as Steamship Traffic clerk. In 1953, he was transferred to the Automotive Division of Atkins, Kroll as the sales manager of the General Motors Distributorship, a job he held until he resigned in November 1961.

After that, he joined the Bank of Hawaii in Guam, initially as loan administrator and eventually promoted as assistant manager until he resigned in 1965. His responsibilities included commercial loans, consumer loans, mortgage loans, SBA business and disaster Loans, and FHA loans.

In 1965, he rejoined Atkins, Kroll and was instrumental in establishing the Saipan Branch Office of Atkins, Kroll. Sablan was the first general manager of the company. The Saipan Branch of Atkins, Kroll was incorporated as Microl Corp. in 1968. In 1974, when Atkins, Kroll was sold to Inchcape, he was promoted to president, a position he held until he was promoted to chairman of the Board in 1985. Sablan retired in 1987. He moved to California where he established a trading company, Central Valley Export Company, family owned and operated for four years.

He joined Gov. Lorenzo Guerrero’s Administration in 1990 as Special Assistant to the Governor for Planning and Budgeting. Sablan was responsible in preparing the annual budget package for the CNMI government. He was also responsible in preparing the budget presentation to the U.S. Congressional Oversight Committee. He resigned from government service in January 1993

He is also currently connected with the Marianas Visitors Authority as chairman of the board for his term starting July 1998 until 2006. Sablan was the first chairman of the board when the law creating MVA was implemented and enacted in 1976.

In addition, Sablan’s involvement in tourism industry dates back in 1968 when he organized and became the president of Pacific Micronesia Corporation (PMC), the first 200-room hotel, Saipan Beach Inter-Continental Hotel. PMC was jointly owned by Sablan with Japan Travel Bureau, Inc., Keio Plaza Hotel and Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation. In 1984, Sablan sold his hotel interest to Japan Travel Bureau, Inc. Tasi Tours and Transportation, Inc. was another company he established in 1976 with Japan Travel Bureau, Inc. (JTB). He was the president of the company for nine years until he sold his interest in 1985 to JTB.

Sablan joined Tan Holdings Corp. in 1993, where he presently holds several key executive positions including insurance, hotels, travel and tourism, logistics handling, and wholesaling.

Leonard Sine
Partner, Sine & Muna

Leonard Sine has been a resident of Saipan for the past 31 years. For the immediate past 23 years, he has been in the accounting and tax preparation business – 10 years as a sole practitioner and 13 years with a partner. Sine is an enrolled agent under the Internal Revenue Service regulations having completed their requirements by examination.

Sine graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Accounting Ohio State University.

Sine has been affiliated with the Saipan Chamber of Commerce for the past 23 years having served in the following capacities: board of directors (one year); finance committee (two years); and armed forces committee (currently and for the past two years).

He was a member of the Saipan Rotary Club for 10 years (1974-1984) and served in the following positions: president – One year; treasurer – Two years.

Sine was a drafter into the U.S. Army during WWII and eventually retired in 1971 as a full colonel in the Transportation Corps.

He has been an active and avid bowler his entire adult life. Additionally, he enjoys ship cruising at least once or twice a year.

Jerry Tan
Executive Vice President
Tan Holdings Corp.

Born in Hong Kong, Jerry Tan grew up in Guam and Saipan and has been a resident of these islands for the past 28 years. He was valedictorian of Barrigada Jr. High and JFK High Schools in Guam, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of Guam with a double major in Accounting and Management.

Tan is the executive vice president of Tan Holdings Corporation, a diverse holding company which does business in more than a dozen industries in the Western Pacific. He oversees the “non-apparel” companies for THC, which include the Century Group of Companies, Dai-ichi Hotels in Saipan and Guam, and numerous others.

He is vice president & director of Asia Pacific Hotels, which owns the Dai-ichi Hotel Saipan Beach and Guam Dai-ichi Hotel. He is also president and CEO of the CTSI Logistics Group, a company founded on Saipan, which today has offices in 19 countries. He is a director of the Luen Thai Group, a global conglomerate specializing in apparel manufacturing, logistics services, and software development.

Active in community service on Saipan, Tan is president of the non-profit Tan Holdings Foundation, a director of the NMI Chapter of the American Red Cross, president of the Saipan Bowling Association, and president of the Northern Marianas College Foundation.

Jerry his wife Lydia and daughter live on Saipan.