{"id":302129,"date":"2019-06-21T06:06:15","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T20:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=302129"},"modified":"2019-06-21T06:06:15","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T20:06:15","slug":"24-graduate-from-pacific-executive-leadership-development-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/24-graduate-from-pacific-executive-leadership-development-program\/","title":{"rendered":"24 graduate from Pacific Executive Leadership Development Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The 2019 graduates of the Pacific Executive Leadership Development Program pose for a souvenir photo at their graduation in Honolulu, Hawaii, last June 14, 2019. (Contributed Photos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

WASHINGTON\u2014Twenty-four individuals from across the Pacific region comprising the Pacific 2019 cohort of the Pacific Executive Leadership Development Program graduated from the program in a ceremony at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, last Friday, June 14, 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations graduates, we are proud of your hard work! You have invested in your professional future and we have invested in you,\u201d said Doug Domenech, U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, in a video message played at the ceremony. \u201cWe will look to you to help improve the lives of people in the islands.\u201d <\/p>\n

Republic of the Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine presided at the graduation where she delivered the keynote remarks. <\/p>\n

\u201cHaving public servants with the right mix of leadership skills and qualities is essential,\u201d Heine said. \u201cYou were all leaders when you joined this program, but there\u2019s no doubt you\u2019re better leaders today following your thoughtful and deliberate efforts during this program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crystal Simanu of American Samoa, chosen by her peers to speak on behalf of her fellow graduates, said, \u201cThe ELDP has effectively equipped us to handle any and every situation that comes our way. We now head back to our respective home islands to make changes for the better.\u201d <\/p>\n

The graduation ceremony in Honolulu was preceded by a capstone week of training that featured the 2019 cohort giving final presentations of team projects to a panel of judges, which consisted of Office of Insular Affairs director Nikolao Pula, former director of the Micronesian Seminar Rev. Francis X. Hezel, and president of the Guam Community College, Dr. Mary Okada.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am impressed by the caliber of young leaders that are representing the U.S. territories and the freely associated states today,\u201d said Pula. \u201cI emphasized to the graduating class the importance of the leadership quality of integrity. As President Eisenhower once said \u2018The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional sessions included the finalization of personal growth plans and individual leadership profiles. They also held final training sessions and discussions on key topics, such as government ethics, performance measurement, and challenges future island leaders will confront.<\/p>\n

The 24 graduates of the 2019 Pacific Executive Leadership Program are:<\/p>\n

American Samoa
\nKatrina Hunkin-Seumanutafa
\nPilivesburg Pezega Salanoa
\nCrystal Elizabeth Simanu<\/p>\n

Guam
\nJohn P. Camacho, Jr.
\nRodalyn May A. Gerardo
\nNorthern Mariana Islands
\nMichelle Cabrera Atalig
\nRyan Camacho
\nPatricia L.L. Coleman
\nTaAnn Kabua-Demapan
\nRoxalyn Kaminanga<\/p>\n

Federated States of Micronesia national government
\nErick Paul
\nShaun Suliol<\/p>\n

Chuuk State, FSM
\nSherlyn T. Reynold
\nWisney Nakayama<\/p>\n

Pohnpei State, FSM
\nMitaro I. Simina<\/p>\n

Yap State, FSM
\nVallynna Gippin<\/p>\n

Republic of the Marshall Islands
\nMaybelline Bing
\nLaurence E. Edwards, II
\nHolden Nena
\nIsabela Silk
\nFrancyne Wase-Jacklick<\/p>\n

Republic of Palau
\nAntonnette Odeurengul Merur
\nSunny Ochob Ngirmang
\nCheryl-Ann Udui<\/p>\n

Several keynote speakers addressed the ELDP throughout the week, including Adm. Philip Davidson, commander, Indo-Pacific Command; Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO, Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association; Rev. Francis X. Hezel, SJ, author and historian, Micronesia Studies; Kumu Ramsay Taum, Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific; and Nainoa Thompson, \u201cPwo\u201d, navigator of the H\u014dk\u016ble\u02bba.<\/p>\n

Administered by the Graduate School USA\u2019s Pacific Islands Training Initiative, the ELDP is funded through the Office of Insular Affairs\u2019 Technical Assistance Program, which is funded annually by Congress. <\/p>\n

The ELDP was created in 2009 to help island governments in the U.S. territories and the Freely Associated States address challenges with attracting and retaining qualified individuals to work in core leadership functions. <\/p>\n

The full video of congratulatory remarks can be viewed at: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/342584953. (PR)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine speaks to the 2019 graduating class of the Pacific Executive Leadership Development Program in Honolulu on Friday, June 14, 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON\u2014Twenty-four individuals from across the Pacific region comprising the Pacific 2019 cohort of the Pacific…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":302130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-302129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/302130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}