Tina Sablan to serve as NMC graduation keynote speaker

Tina Sablan

Former gubernatorial candidate and House representative Christina-Marie “Tina” E. Sablan has been selected by Northern Marianas College’s Class of 2023 to be the keynote speaker at the college’s 42nd Commencement Exercise this Friday.

“Her extensive experience and tireless dedication to public service make her an inspiration to us all,” Class of 2023 representative Charlie Bell Foster said. “Tina’s commitment to making a difference, her deep understanding of the issues that affect our island community, and her ability to effect meaningful change are unparalleled.”

Sablan was elected to the CNMI Legislature in 2007 and was re-elected in 2018 and 2020. Throughout her tenure, Sablan has pursued legislation aimed at benefiting the community, such as initiatives to restore the Earned Income Tax Credit, strengthen the CNMI Medicaid Agency, reform the medical referral program, update tobacco tax laws, establish protections against discrimination for LGBTQ individuals, improve access to mental health care services, and secure increased funding for public education, healthcare, and critical social services.

In 2022, Sablan ran for CNMI governor, forming a historic all-female tandem with her running mate, then-representative Leila Staffler, under the Democratic Party. Their campaign focused on promoting good governance and creating a safe, just, healthy, and beautiful Commonwealth. Acknowledging her leadership and expertise, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios appointed Sablan as the administration’s senior policy advisor earlier this year. In this role, she continues to prioritize sustainable development and collaborates with regional and national partners to drive positive change.

Sablan’s educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Conservation Science from the College of Santa Fe, as well as a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a graduate certificate in Conflict Resolution from the University of Hawaii-Manoa.

NMC president Galvin Deleon Guerrero, Ed.D., expressed enthusiasm for Sablan’s selection as this year’s keynote speaker.

“We are honored to have Tina Sablan as our keynote speaker,” Deleon Guerrero said. “She is a servant leader whose integrity and passion have made our Commonwealth a better place for all. I look forward to hearing her deliver an address that will inspire our graduates to not only follow in her footsteps, but blaze their own trails as well.”

The 42nd Commencement Exercise, where close to 300 graduates will receive their degrees, will be held at the Marianas High School Gymnasium on Friday, May 19, 2023, at 4pm. The ceremony will be broadcasted live on the college’s Facebook page at facebook.com/NMC.Proa. For more information, visit www.marianas.edu. (NMC)