NMTI: We’re in ‘uncharted waters

With no clear source of funding, an uncertain transition plan, and pulled in two directions by a board of trustees and board of directors, the Northern Marianas Trades Institute seems to be floundering as it goes into “uncharted waters.”

NMTI board of trustees chair Mario Valentino said as much. “I think [where] we’re right now [is] in uncharted waters,” he said during a House Committee on Education hearing last Wednesday.

It didn’t help that NMTI was closed in March 2020 because of the pandemic, right when NMTI was transitioning from an autonomous group with a board of directors into a government agency governed by a board of trustees. And then there was no unanimous stance whether to resume NMTI classes this year or not, with four board directors voting to resume and Valentino opposing it because there was no budget for it.

According to Valentino, at the previous board meeting with NMTI board of directors, plans for 2021 were in progress but there was no budget for a new module.

“With all due respect, why would we make decisions for 2021? I said please allow the trustees [to] make those decisions. I would rather see us finalize [the transition process] rather than continue trying to make plans,” Valentino said at the committee hearing.

Last Oct. 5, 2020, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres line- vetoed the allocation of $600,000 and $800,000 in CNMI-Only Transitional Workers Fund to NMTI and the Northern Marianas College, respectively, for vocational educational curricula, apprenticeships, or other training program.

Valentino said that NMTI should not continue to run knowing that they are “on empty,” even if they know they will have funds.

Also speaking at the committee meeting was NMTI board of directors chair John Gonzales, who said that there is CW funds but the money is “being held back.” It is unclear why the Torres-Palacios administration is holding back the funding.

Gonzales said that he had high hopes for the government and the Legislature to “transform the non-profit educational institution” around.

“What are we waiting for? Put aside this ‘politricks’ and this nonsense shenanigans really, because at the end of the day, it’s never been about me. It’s about putting a straight face because we did good, and we can sleep good at night because we did good,” said Gonzales. “I’m telling you I’ve been through thick and thin but the mission must remain focused.”

Transition plan

Another concern at the meeting was the creation of a transition plan that would recognize NMTI as a government entity. NMTI is currently an autonomous entity, according to NMTI chief executive officer Agnes McPhetres.

Valentino confirmed that the institute did meet the 180-day deadline to come up with a transition plan but there were many challenges. “The goal was obviously to get to a transition plan before 180 days. …It was a tall order to do, with the volume of stuff that you had to do, and waiting on various things like audits, tagging, and listing everything and all the reports…so quite a bit of a challenge,” said Valentino.

According to Valentino, there are still requirements that are lacking. “It’s required by law for us to have certain things in the transition…that we must do,” said Valentino.

Valentino said that they are learning along the way, as they are transitioning. One thing that the institution needs is an official auditor— a person who can conduct/inspect the institute’s finances. NMTI does not have that.

McPhetres said that there is also a lack of communication between the two boards during the transitional phase.
In previous meetings, it has been said multiple times that before the transition happens, both boards want to be sure that all accounts are cleared so that the board of trustees have a “clean slate.”