Guam academics await word on UOG presidential search
No word yet on any short list for the top job at the University of Guam.
Despite rumors that a short list will be released soon of candidates for the 12th president of UOG, Norman Analista, director of Development, Alumni Affairs & Foundation Relations – who is acting as liaison for the Presidential Search Committee – said any release will only be issued when the board of regents of UOG is ready.
Members of the search committee have signed confidentiality agreements, he said, and so are unable to discuss anything related to the process.
When the University last held a search committee in 2018, a short list of nine candidates was first selected, followed by a final shortlist of three candidates – all from off-island, whose names were released in May of that year. While the Journal has heard that initial applicants included those from Guam, the paper has not heard what composition any short list will include.
The timeline in 2018 allowed for the final three off-island candidates to visit Guam and meet with the board of regents, and other UOG stakeholders. President Thomas W. Krise – the successful candidate – began at UOG on Aug. 6, 2018, according to Journal files.
The Eagle has not landed yet
Guam Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero now has until April 30 – two weeks from the original deadline to sign a lease to secure the Eagles Field site in Mangilao for the land for a new hospital to replace Guam Memorial Hospital, according to an April 14 letter from Rear Adm. Benjamin R. Nicholson, commander of Joint Region Marianas, representing the U.S. Department of the Navy. The letter was released Aug. 17 by the Office of the Governor.
In the meantime, Sen. Therese M. Terlaje, speaker of the 3 G7th Guam Legislature; also wrote to Leon Guerrero, inviting her to address the legislature’s Committee on Land on April 25, concerning the review and recommendations on the lease made by Douglas B. Moylan, attorney general of Guam.
Senators, tourism representatives look to update GVB enabling legislation
Updating the Guam Visitors Bureau enabling legislation seemed to be the consensus during a round table discussion held April 14.
Sen. Amanda L. Shelton, chairwoman of the Committee on Maritime Transportation, Air Transportation, Parks, Tourism, Higher Education and the Advancement of Women, Youth, and Senior Citizens; hosted the roundtable discussion following an oversight hearing that discussed a controversial report by GVB's Business Risk Compliance and Control Committee. The report wasn't covered in the first part of the roundtable, which was still in progress as of 4.30 p.m. The senator's office, when asked previously whether the report would be discussed, said the roundtable would focus on reconciling GVB's enabling legislation and by-laws.
At both the April 6 oversight hearing and the April 14 roundtable, GVB board directors and management said there are "incongruencies" between the law that created the bureau and the by-laws that the board follows.
"I have been witness on several occasions at GVB meetings ... it was actually stated by the attorney as a recommendation ... to address the enabling legislation so that we can move away from a lot of the issues that have been plaguing the board (and participants)," said Mary P. Rhodes, a GVB board director who also serves as a president of the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association.
Joseph McDonald, GVB’s attorney, said a primary issue is how GVB is tasked to help the government make money but it's also created as a non-profit organization.
"If you look at the current structure of GVB, it is a non-profit, non-stock membership corporation. It' supposed to give out monetary handouts, that's in the statutes, as well as grants," he said. "However, everyone ... wants to see (tourism) growth. ... What we are looking at is a non-profit organization that wants to make money.
"If that's the mission we need to embrace that," McDonald said. He said that currently GVB is "looking at opposing missions" but if the goal is to make money then that needs to be embraced "and not hide behind being a non-profit."
McDonald pointed to the GVB website, which reflects the enabling act so most of the activities reflect beautification efforts and other "inward facing" activities. "On the other side we have really the best and brightest minds ... trying to grow our number one industry and they shouldn't be shackled," he added.
He said perhaps there ought to be some hyper-incentivization, for example, "… have members buy in and they get first dibs on organizing events."
"If you're going to have a profit-making incentive, you have to make sure whoever is there has skin in the game because that's what actually drives a successful outcome," he said.
George Chiu, chairman of the GVB board; said McDonald made a good point.
"We need to identify the role of GVB" by updating the enabling legislation, which will help address some of the issues they've faced, he said. It was also agreed there is also a need to look at how board of directors are chosen and then define the role/function of the board of directors.
Sen. Jesse A. Lujan, vice chairman of the committee; warned those at the discussion not to rush into changing the enabling legislation without first asking the community for their input, and ensuring the changes reflect the needs of the island.
And also:
Pay-Less Supermarkets will hold a job fair on April 29 at its corporate headquarters in Hagatna.
The USCGC Oliver Henry returned to its homeport of Guam on April 9, following a 30-day expeditionary patrol in support of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency's Operation 365 and Operation Rematau to stop “illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the Pacific.” According to an April 17 release, during the patrol of the exclusive economic zones of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and other locations, the Oliver Henry “completed nine boardings [of] foreign-flagged fishing vessels under the authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, with 12 potential violations discovered.” The cutter also made port visits in Yap and Koror among other activities. See www.news.uscg.mil for the full report.
For your diary:
April 22 – 2023 Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam-Guam Visitors Bureau Earth Day Clean Up, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Gov. Joseph Flores Beach Park (Ypao Beach Park. Also supported by Honhui Group, Chung Kuo Insurance, First Commercial Bank and China Airlines.
April 22– 34th annual Northern Mariana Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross Walkathon, near the Guma Sakman building, Susupe. Expect a 10k, 5k and 2k course along the beach pathway, T-shirts, refreshments, games and a community fair. Contact the Red Cross at (670) 234-3459. Sponsors include Bridge Capital LLC and Pacific Islands Club Saipan. mbj
No word yet on any short list for the top job at the University of Guam.
Despite rumors that a short list will be released soon of candidates for the 12th president of UOG, Norman Analista, director of Development, Alumni Affairs & Foundation Relations – who is acting as liaison for the Presidential Search Committee – said any release will only be issued when the board of regents of UOG is ready.
Members of the search committee have signed confidentiality agreements, he said, and so are unable to discuss anything related to the process.
When the University last held a search committee in 2018, a short list of nine candidates was first selected, followed by a final shortlist of three candidates – all from off-island, whose names were released in May of that year. While the Journal has heard that initial applicants included those from Guam, the paper has not heard what composition any short list will include.
The timeline in 2018 allowed for the final three off-island candidates to visit Guam and meet with the board of regents, and other UOG stakeholders. President Thomas W. Krise – the successful candidate – began at UOG on Aug. 6, 2018, according to Journal files.
The Eagle has not landed yet
Guam Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero now has until April 30 – two weeks from the original deadline to sign a lease to secure the Eagles Field site in Mangilao for the land for a new hospital to replace Guam Memorial Hospital, according to an April 14 letter from Rear Adm. Benjamin R. Nicholson, commander of Joint Region Marianas, representing the U.S. Department of the Navy. The letter was released Aug. 17 by the Office of the Governor.
In the meantime, Sen. Therese M. Terlaje, speaker of the 3 G7th Guam Legislature; also wrote to Leon Guerrero, inviting her to address the legislature’s Committee on Land on April 25, concerning the review and recommendations on the lease made by Douglas B. Moylan, attorney general of Guam.
Senators, tourism representatives look to update GVB enabling legislation
Updating the Guam Visitors Bureau enabling legislation seemed to be the consensus during a round table discussion held April 14.
Sen. Amanda L. Shelton, chairwoman of the Committee on Maritime Transportation, Air Transportation, Parks, Tourism, Higher Education and the Advancement of Women, Youth, and Senior Citizens; hosted the roundtable discussion following an oversight hearing that discussed a controversial report by GVB's Business Risk Compliance and Control Committee. The report wasn't covered in the first part of the roundtable, which was still in progress as of 4.30 p.m. The senator's office, when asked previously whether the report would be discussed, said the roundtable would focus on reconciling GVB's enabling legislation and by-laws. At both the April 6 oversight hearing and the April 14 roundtable, GVB board directors and management said there are "incongruencies" between the law that created the bureau and the by-laws that the board follows.
"I have been witness on several occasions at GVB meetings ... it was actually stated by the attorney as a recommendation ... to address the enabling legislation so that we can move away from a lot of the issues that have been plaguing the board (and participants)," said Mary P. Rhodes, a GVB board director who also serves as a president of the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association.
Joseph McDonald, GVB’s attorney, said a primary issue is how GVB is tasked to help the government make money but it's also created as a non-profit organization.
"If you look at the current structure of GVB, it is a non-profit, non-stock membership corporation. It' supposed to give out monetary handouts, that's in the statutes, as well as grants," he said. "However, everyone ... wants to see (tourism) growth. ... What we are looking at is a non-profit organization that wants to make money.
"If that's the mission we need to embrace that," McDonald said. He said that currently GVB is "looking at opposing missions" but if the goal is to make money then that needs to be embraced "and not hide behind being a non-profit."
McDonald pointed to the GVB website, which reflects the enabling act so most of the activities reflect beautification efforts and other "inward facing" activities. "On the other side we have really the best and brightest minds ... trying to grow our number one industry and they shouldn't be shackled," he added.
He said perhaps there ought to be some hyper-incentivization, for example, "… have members buy in and they get first dibs on organizing events."
"If you're going to have a profit-making incentive, you have to make sure whoever is there has skin in the game because that's what actually drives a successful outcome," he said.
George Chiu, chairman of the GVB board; said McDonald made a good point.
"We need to identify the role of GVB" by updating the enabling legislation, which will help address some of the issues they've faced, he said. It was also agreed there is also a need to look at how board of directors are chosen and then define the role/function of the board of directors.
Sen. Jesse A. Lujan, vice chairman of the committee; warned those at the discussion not to rush into changing the enabling legislation without first asking the community for their input, and ensuring the changes reflect the needs of the island.
And also:
Pay-Less Supermarkets will hold a job fair on April 29 at its corporate headquarters in Hagatna.
The USCGC Oliver Henry returned to its homeport of Guam on April 9, following a 30-day expeditionary patrol in support of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency's Operation 365 and Operation Rematau to stop “illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the Pacific.” According to an April 17 release, during the patrol of the exclusive economic zones of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and other locations, the Oliver Henry “completed nine boardings [of] foreign-flagged fishing vessels under the authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, with 12 potential violations discovered.” The cutter also made port visits in Yap and Koror among other activities. See www.news.uscg.mil for the full report.
For your diary:
April 22 – 2023 Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam-Guam Visitors Bureau Earth Day Clean Up, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Gov. Joseph Flores Beach Park (Ypao Beach Park. Also supported by Honhui Group, Chung Kuo Insurance, First Commercial Bank and China Airlines.
April 22– 34th annual Northern Mariana Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross Walkathon, near the Guma Sakman building, Susupe. Expect a 10k, 5k and 2k course along the beach pathway, T-shirts, refreshments, games and a community fair. Contact the Red Cross at (670) 234-3459. Sponsors include Bridge Capital LLC and Pacific Islands Club Saipan. mbj