DFS’ Beighley to keynote Chamber installation dinner

The annual Saipan Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner will be held this year at the Fiesta Resort & Spa’s Hibiscus Hall on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 10, 2008 at 6pm.

The evening’s keynote speaker will be Jim Beighley, Managing Director of the Pacific Division of DFS, the world’s leading luxury retailer catering to the traveling public.

Each year, the Chamber announces the recipient of its Businessperson of the Year award at the Installation Dinner.

This year’s nominees are: Kathryn Barry, Regional Marketing Manager of PTI/IT&E; Lawrence Knecht, Executive Vice President-CFO of PTI/IT&E; Lynn Knight, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Tan Holdings, Publisher of the Saipan Tribune, and General Manager of Century Hotel; Anthony Pellegrino, owner and operator of Saipan Sea Ventures, Saipan Ice & Water Co., and Saipan Aquaculture; and Kanae Quinn, Director of Sales & Marketing at Pacific Islands Club Saipan.

Nominees must be residents of Saipan and members of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce. A panel of past recipients evaluates nominees on the basis of criteria such as community involvement, contributions to the community, support for local workforce, and participation in the Chamber. Past recipients include: K.J. Kim of Asiana Airlines, Juan Guerrero of Juan T. Guerrero & Associates, David M. Sablan, Sr. of Century Insurance, Mark Erwin of Continental Airlines, Jerry Tan of Tan Holdings, Alex Sablan of Saipan Shipping, Jay Jones of Triple J Enterprises, Wendi Herring of Pacific Islands Club, Marian Aldan-Pierce of DFS, Joe Ayuyu of McDonald’s, Ed Camacho of The Financial & Insurance Services Group, and Efrain Camacho of EFC Engineers & Architects.

The evening will include a five-course plated dinner, musical entertainment by the award-winning Pacific Winds ensemble, and a silent auction, the proceeds of which will benefit the Chamber’s Educational Scholarship Fund.

Last year, the silent auction raised over $4,000, which helped enable the Chamber to award six $1,500 scholarships to deserving college-bound high school seniors from Saipan. This year, the Chamber has committed to also funding two scholarships to the Northern Marianas Trades Institute, in recognition of the important role this new vocational school will play in helping our local workforce retool in response to the changing demands of both the public and private sectors.

Entrance to the Installation Dinner is $50 per person and reservations must be made in advance by calling the Chamber office at 233-7150.

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce has approximately 150 members, ranging from individuals and small companies to some of the largest companies in the Pacific region.

The Chamber regularly appears before and works with government agencies, elected officials, and other business and civic organizations to improve the business climate and economic and civic development of our islands. The Chamber not only promotes and protects business interests, but also works to promote the civic interests and general health and welfare of the Commonwealth community as a whole. Aside from serving as an advocate for the business community, the Chamber annually awards college scholarship funds to deserving Commonwealth high school seniors; members have collectively hosted hundreds of visiting military personnel through the Invite-a-Sailor program; and its forums and workshops have educated and informed thousands of members and non-members on diverse topics that affect our businesses, our economy, and our community. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]