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Janice Marie Ada Tenorio<\/strong> holds two important positions in the IT industry and education. As Customer Service and Government Relations manager of IT&E CNMI, she helps build the strong and wide-ranging network of contacts and vast customer base of IT&E CNMI. As chairperson of the CNMI Board of Education, she has been governing the board and policy- making body of the CNMI Public School System for two consecutive terms.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a strong believer of and advocate for teamwork. Regardless of what organization one belong to or the amount of task one is expected of and or presented with, I am motivated by the people that I work and serve with,\u201d she said<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I served in two entirely different organizations, it is worth to note that they both embrace the importance of teamwork through open communication. \u2026Both IT&E CNMI and the CNMI Board of Education value the importance of communication as an essential part of being a successful service provider and organization,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n While the bar of expectations for what she does for both the organizations is high, Tenorio says she makes sure that she commit time for her family and herself. \u201cIt is essential that we are able to balance work and personal life. We achieve this by giving time for yourself and to the people that inspire and motivate you to strive and work harder,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is important also is how I am enormously proud to belong to these organizations that value the importance of community engagement and partnership, of reaching out and supporting worthy causes that help improve the way of life of the people from this beautiful community of ours,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Diana Clayton<\/strong> is an advocate of using one\u2019s beauty to champion a cause. When we say beauty pageants, the default image is that of beautiful women, gowns, swimwear and the question- and-answer portion. Clayton wants to add another facet to this image.<\/p>\n As president of the Miss Earth Northern Mariana franchise, Clayton helps steer the pageant to achieve what it was created for\u2014to promote environmental awareness using beauty pageants as a medium.<\/p>\n According to Clayton, the organization was established two years two years ago and the first Miss Earth pageant was held just last year. \u201cAs president, I focus on promoting and coordinating the Miss Earth organization, along with my team, which is composed of different committees and awesome volunteers. I\u2019ve always been driven to put myself out there to help our community to be aware of what is going on with our environment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been intentional in learning the islands\u2019 environmental issues and whatever result I gather pushes me to commit to educating people to be aware,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The work may sound simple but Clayton admits that this experience, albeit new, has been life-changing. \u201cI look forward to make a career of this. \u2026The work and commitment I put helps me share learning experiences with others\u2026and more active within our community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Toward this end, Clayton has set five important goals for herself for the first six months of the year. That includes putting in the time to promote environmental issues that the CNMI faces, educating children in school, socializing within the community through volunteer and public events, and being more engaged in spreading awareness.<\/p>\n Shortly after moving to Saipan in 2012, Beth Pliscou<\/strong> founded the Saipan Cares for Animals group, of which she is currently the director. She describes Saipan Cares for Animals as a dedicated group of volunteers whose mission is to improve the life of every animal on Saipan through sterilization, medication and socialization. \u201cWe do this by helping the animals directly and offering the community low-cost pet care services,\u201d Pliscou said. That explains the overflowing number of people who visit Saipan Cares for Animals everyday to have their pets vaccinated or dewormed, among other pet services.<\/p>\n \u201cThe overpopulation of dogs and cats on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota is a huge but fixable problem. This can only be accomplished by spay\/neuter. Killing them one by one\u2026clearly doesn\u2019t work. I\u2019m motivated to do the work that I do and lower this overpopulation problem every time I see an animal suffering, which is every day,\u201d Pliscou added.<\/p>\n Catherine M. Attao<\/strong>, who is vice president of Corporate Human Resources and Corporate Affairs of TanHoldings, says she is glad to belong to a company that values employees and the community. That focus on organizational development and company culture has enabled her office, together with the Tan Siu Lin Foundation, to support the community in the areas of health, education, and environment<\/p>\n It helps that Attao loves what she does. \u201cIn order to be successful in anything, it has to come from the heart.\u00a0 When you act from the heart, one will find a way to make things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n She also gives credit to her faith (\u201c\u2026my life and day-to-day schedule is very much based on faith.\u00a0 What our Lord brings me to, He will get me through\u201d) and to her very supportive husband.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing blessed with each new day, I hope to add value and make a difference in our community and for our youth,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Attao believes that her role involves not just providing a strong support system to TanHoldings, but also includes nurturing women and the youth and building a more resilient community (\u201csupporting TanHoldings through the challenges that all business are facing, increase women and girls\u2019 camaraderie in soccer by promoting participation, health, and exercise, learn and engage with all Northern Marianas Technical Institute stakeholders, and expand my knowledge on career paths for my children and their peers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Named as one of the Obama Foundation Future Leaders last year, Sami Birmingham-Babauta<\/strong> is passionate about improving the overall health of the CNMI community. She knows that this work is not easy, but she also knows that it can be done.<\/p>\n \u201cImproving the overall health of the community is multi-faceted, with things like improving access to health care and advocating for policies that create environments that support physical activity (sidewalks, bike lanes, fitness parks). While I work in different [capacities] to accomplish this, my niche is teaching and promoting active living and using physical activity to prolong life and prevent diseases,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Birmingham-Babauta admits that keeping good health is a global challenge and working to tackle that can be related to being an Obama Leader. Last year, she was one of the 199 young Obama Foundation Leaders to be selected from all over the world. \u201cThe Obama Future Leaders Program is about bringing emerging young leaders in the Asia and Pacific region together. \u2026Going through the workshops they had for us was empowering. \u2026At the convention in Kuala Lumpur, I realized that a lot of us are fighting the same battles in our homes, and connecting us reminded us that our work is important and we are not alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Birmingham-Babauta has held several positions at the Commonwealth Health Care Corp., worked as program manager of 500 Sails, and is now with Northern Marianas College-CREES in the Nutrition and Health Program.<\/p>\n Justice and service are sources of missions for Pamela Brown Blackburn<\/strong>, more popularly known on the islands as Pam Brown. She loves public service work and always wakes up in the morning thrilled to make a difference in other people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n As executive director of Pacific Ombudsman Humanitarian Law, majority of her work focuses on assisting victims of human trafficking, labor exploitation, and domestic and sexual violence. \u201cPOHL was formed to help victims of abuse, both domestic and foreign-born. \u2026The other major area of work deals with representing Chinese Christian refugees fleeing persecution in China. These areas of legal services are complex, emotionally charged, and always gratifying,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Blackburn is a chartering member of Soroptimist International of the Northern Mariana Islands and has had many positions with SINMI, including president and chair of its Ways and Means Committee and currently the secretary and chair of the \u201cLive Your Dream\u201d Award Committee.<\/p>\n \u201cThe prime focus of all of our projects is serving women\u2019s needs, from Dress for Success, to mentoring programs for women entering the workforce for the first time or re-entering the workforce. Our No. 1 program and the reason for much of our fundraising activities is the \u2018Live Your Dream\u2019 annual award,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Laboratory manager Heidi Yelin<\/strong>\u2019s work is about trying to protect the health and safety of all who live in the Marianas by making sure that we have clean drinking water.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026I ensure that all the staff follow all the CUC Laboratory standard operating procedures for collecting, receiving, and testing samples. \u2026This helps maintain the CUC Laboratory and CNMI Bureau of Environment and Coastal Quality certification for analysis of drinking water samples for total coliform and E.coli,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cCUC Saipan water system has made huge improvements in my 15 years. \u2026There was much to learn and I continue to learn every day, which keeps life and the job interesting. It\u2019s gratifying to share what I\u2019ve learned about water and wastewater with others, customers, friends and especially students,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Donna Krum<\/strong> runs both the Paradise Dental Spa and Friends First Marketing Inc., which is the plan administrator of the least expensive dental plan in the CNMI, \u201cIsland Smiles Discount Dental Plan.\u201d Formerly a co-leader of The Compassionate Friends, a grief support group from 2013 to 2018, Krum is currently the president of Soroptimist International of the Northern Mariana Islands, where she also used to be the Ways & Means chair, and club secretary.<\/p>\n Krum said that part of woman success is how much she values people and relationships. \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to go out there and be involved in everything in the community because of the relationships that develop out of that. \u2026Show up, play nice, and just go everywhere that you can go to build friendships because it\u2019s all those relationships that will help you solve all issues and\u2026I am thankful that I\u2019ve been so fortunate in my business life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just really willing to show up, learn new things, and people always wanted to take me with them. I wasn\u2019t a person that knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I just grew wherever I was planted, did the best I could no matter where I was, and the rest just kind of took care of itself,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n According to Krum, her immediate plans include starting a Mom Group for women who have lost children, continue working on the \u201cspa\u201d portion of Paradise Dental Center, start an Alcoholics\u2019 Anonymous\/Narcotics Anonymous family group (\u201cthe CNMI does not currently have this valuable resource for family members who have been affected by a loved one\u2019s alcohol and\/or drug addiction\u201d) and \u201ccontinue to learn something new every day.\u201d<\/p>\n As executive director of the Tan Siu Lin Foundation, which is the charitable arm of TanHoldings, Merlie Torres Tolentino<\/strong> has been at the forefront of many projects and events. That untiring effort was recognized in January this year at the annual gala of Saipan Chamber of Commerce, when the TSL Foundation was recognized as the 2019 Non-Profit of the Year for its many charitable acts, events, and projects that help uplift individuals and families in the CNMI.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026It is great to be recognized by business people. All of us are working hard, whether in business or charitable works, to help the CNMI. \u2026I hope that\u2026I get to inspire others with what I do,\u201d Tolentino said. \u201cI hope that my hard work somehow inspires others to give their all in any job that they do. \u2026At the TSL [Foundation] , we do not only work for ourselves, for the company or to support our families but\u2026it always bends toward helping [improve] the society that we live in, no matter how small or big our contributions may be. I hope I get to deliver that message to others through my job,\u201d Tolentino added.<\/p>\n Roberta Guerrero<\/strong> has been the executive director of the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance since March 2017. MINA\u2019s mission is about empowering communities for conservation. As such, MINA creates and implements programs that focus on a number of environmental issues.<\/p>\n \u201cThese include marine debris prevention, watershed management, climate change, and island resiliency. The main programs that are currently in progress are the Schools for Environmental Conservation that engages students and their teachers in workshops and field trips. Students learn about how they can help conserve the CNMI\u2019s fragile environment, after which they develop Conservation Action Plans for their school campuses.<\/p>\n \u201cMINA also has a very successful \u2018Bring Back our Trees\u2019 campaign that is replacing trees lost along coastlines due to typhoons Soudelor and Yutu. In addition to these two programs, MINA\u2019s Tasi Watch Rangers are the \u2018eyes of the ocean\u2019 and work in partnership with the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality to conduct surveillance for environmental infractions in the priority watershed area of Garapan, and clean up illegal dumping sites, and handle the revegetation projects in LaoLao,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Everest Kitchen president Laxmi Shrestha<\/strong>, who hails from Nepal, believes that if you work hard and hold tight to your vision, life will give you what your heart desires. For almost six years now since Everest Kitchen opened, that has been the guiding force for Shrestha, who lives everyday with intent and purpose, while sharing good things from where she came from.<\/p>\n \u201cMy husband, Chola, came to Saipan in 1997 and I followed in 2003 and worked in a household. A year later, I transferred to Nikko Hotel and worked as a cook and, even if we worked for somebody else every day, our dream of having our own business someday kept us going,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She estimates that about 35% of the people who go to Everest Kitchen everyday are the same individuals and that speaks to her about their expectations.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026More than earning a profit, giving good service comes first. Our service comes from the heart and not from the pocket. Of course, we need to earn to survive but\u2026we will [never] compromise what the customers want as they are family to us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Lyza Johnston<\/strong> is a coral reef ecologist and has been studying coral reefs from Rota to the Northern Islands. Recently, Johnston was awarded a contract to help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration establish the first ocean-based coral nursery in the CNMI.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a very exciting project that will eventually provide local managers with corals for restoring degraded reefs around the CNMI. The nursery was installed last year and is doing really well so far and I am excited about maintaining and expanding the coral nursery as we will be doubling the capacity of the nursery the first half of the year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI am also working on building partnerships with local, regional, and international organizations to provide more resources for local managers and conservationists. I want to expand my business, hire my first full-time employee, and support at least one local student intern over the summer. Finally, I am hoping to establish a non-profit organization in the CNMI dedicated to coral reef research and conservation,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Being in this field for 18 years, Lauri B. Ogumoro<\/strong> knows this work all too well. She has been the executive director of Karidat Social Services since 2015 and sits as chairperson of the Commonwealth Health Care Corp.\u2019s board of trustees.<\/p>\n Social work is a courageous and, most of the time, an emotional fight. \u201cOne has to learn as a social worker to leave work at work. \u2026We see and hear some of the worst things that can happen in a person\u2019s life and this is the kind of job that can be 24 hours a day. \u2026I have witnessed victims become survivors and have walked with them through some of the darkest days of their lives\u2026,\u201d she said of her job at Karidat.<\/p>\n As for her other job as a CHCC trustee, Ogumoro said she has a fiduciary duty to understand the needs of the Commonwealth Health Center and the larger CNMI community. \u201cWe provide check and balance to the chief executive officer of CHCC, who oversees the daily operations. \u2026It is a big challenge especially without the financial resources we truly need,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Saipan-born Asia Hilario<\/strong>, who was recently honored as its Woman of the Year by a women empowerment organization in South San Francisco in California, continues to make waves after being chosen as one of guest speakers at Imagine Talks. Hilario was one of the 20 speakers that talked about leadership and life lessons at the 6th Annual Conference of Imagine Talks this year that was held at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center last Jan. 18, 2020.<\/p>\n Hilario, who was named Woman of the Year last year by Women on the Rise, is currently based in San Jose, California. She is a lifestyle blogger advocating women empowerment, mental health, and wellness. She is a crisis counselor for CrisisTextLine, and a brand ambassador for Kuros, an organization whose mission is to enhance the safety and mobility of women around the world.<\/p>\n In an earlier interview, Hilario said that by lifting other women, an entire community and society can elevate. \u201cWomen are powerful beings, who can do incredible things, and by empowering them (giving them resources, offering support, encouraging them, educating them, giving them a voice) we can change the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of her advocacy is trying to break the negative stigma around mental health. \u201cI\u2019m trying to de-stigmatize seeking mental help for those who need it. The more we talk about mental health, the braver people will be to not only seek help, but to speak about it as well. The biggest struggle I\u2019ve had in the past was feeling like I was alone in my struggles. I want to use my voice to make sure that no one else feels that they\u2019re alone in their struggles,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Marcia \u201cRuri\u201d Ayuyu<\/strong>, who manages two McDonald\u2019s restaurants on Saipan, oversees all aspects of the business for the two McDonald\u2019s restaurants on Saipan, representing the McDonald\u2019s brand and building a strong team of 120 employees at the same time. She is also president of the Rotary Club Saipan\u2014roles that she said requires good stewardship and a finely-tuned sense of balance.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my business, I want my employees to know that\u2026they are just not my employees\u2026 I treat them as part of my family and they motivate me. Same goes for our customers every single day. \u2026Just seeing their smiles and happy faces makes me want to do more, makes me committed to be better every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n As president of the Rotary Club Saipan, Ayuyu takes on this position with heart and grit. \u201cI take the Rotary\u2019s mission \u2018Rotary connects the world\u2019 to heart.\u201d That means encouraging Rotarians to ring in more members to become a part of the organization. \u201cI believe the more members we have, the more tasks we can achieve,\u201d Ayuyu said.<\/p>\n Ayuyu says she has a knack for organizing herself\u2014a talent that always serves her in good stead. \u201cI have my way of prioritizing and I make time for myself and my loved ones,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Kanae S. Quinn<\/strong> has been involved in various fields and skills that includes consulting, fitness, education and training, community outreach, and marriage counseling.<\/p>\n She manages her time at Quinn Consulting, LLC doing hospitality and events consulting service; at Marianas Fitness Ltd. as part-owner of a gym where she teaches spin class; as a hospitality and career training instructor at Latte Training Academy; board member of the Make-A-Wish Guam and CNMI, where she has been for six years now; and Worldwide Marriage Encounter, helping CNMI couples and families enhance their relationships. That breadth of experience has given Quinn a clear-eyed view of what being a \u201cwoman of excellence\u201d is.<\/p>\n \u201cMy view of \u2018women of excellence\u2019 may not necessarily conform to the norm. A person who has achieved a certain level of financial success or a prestigious position, title or award, is not always an excellent woman,\u201d she said. \u201cAn excellent woman values relationships and time with family and friends. She\u2019s not \u2018too busy\u2019 for you. She\u2019s kind, willing to help others, is a good listener and one you want to invite for parties as she\u2019s fun as well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" March is International Women\u2019s Month. Here, we give a roundup of some of the women…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":308944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[8217,2473,4849,16292],"class_list":["post-318645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-supplement","tag-beth-pliscou","tag-donna-krum","tag-pamela-brown-blackburn","tag-roberta-guerrero"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318645","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\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=318645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=318645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=318645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=318645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Diana-Clayton-150x150.jpg\")
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