Kilili names staff, opens DC office

Delegate-elect Gregorio “Kilili” C. Sablan, who will officially open his office at the U.S. capital today, has announced his staff selections.

“I am very pleased to have assembled such an experienced and capable staff to work in the Northern Marianas and in Washington,” Sablan said. “Each of these people is committed to helping the Northern Marianas and has proven their dedication over many years. I know having such a strong team working with me will be a tremendous help in doing the job I have been elected to do.”

Bob Schwalbach will be Sablan’s Chief of Staff. Schwalbach, who worked for the CNMI government for two decades, served as congressional liaison in the Resident Representative’s office for 12 years. He also worked as senior policy advisor for Gov. Juan N. Babauta and as staff to the Natural Resources and Commerce committees in the 6th Northern Marianas House of Representatives. Schwalbach, a theater studies graduate from Harvard University, first worked with Sablan in the 1980s in the NMI Legislature.

Arin Greenwood has been selected as Sablan’s Senior Legislative Assistant and Communications Director. Greenwood, a former CNMI Assistant Attorney General, first worked with Sablan when she represented the Commonwealth Election Commission during the time Sablan was Executive Director. Prior to working as an Assistant Attorney General, she served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Miguel S. Demapan of the Commonwealth Supreme Court. Greenwood, who also worked as an administrative judge for the Marianas’ first ever refugee protection program, will focus on immigration as one of her responsibilities as Senior Legislative Assistant. Greenwood is currently a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank. During her time there she has written about insurance, immigration and online gambling. As a freelance journalist and writer, she has written for many publications including Slate, the Washington CityPaper and the American Bar Association Journal. She received her B.A. in philosophy from Oberlin College and her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

Becky Cruz Lizama, a recent graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, will serve as a Legislative Assistant in Sablan’s congressional office, where she will work on environmental and natural resource issues.

Rose Cruz McDermott will be in charge of overall office operations on Capitol Hill and manage the Delegate’s schedule. McDermott has worked for the CNMI Resident Representative since 1992.

The location of Sablan’s office in the Northern Marianas has not been finalized, but the delegate-elect has selected staff members.

Peter Michael Tenorio has been named Sablan’s district director. He will be responsible for constituent issues as they arise in the CNMI and advise Sablan on issues facing people of the Commonwealth.

Tenorio was chairman of Sablan’s kilili08 campaign committee. He was a member of the 10th Commonwealth Legislature, during which he was chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.

Viola Alepuyo will act as part-time legal counsel to Sablan. In order to continue her work in private practice in the CNMI, Alepuyo will be limited to matters in which the federal government has no interest or involvement. Alepuyo, who received her B.A. in Women’s Studies from Washington State University and her J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law, is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and Shield.

Sablan’s Washington office is located at 423 Cannon House Office Building. Sablan will be sworn in with other delegates on Tuesday.