Amemiya going home after 14 years

Saipan Walking Association Inc. director Hiroko Amemiya will board a Northwest Airlines flight bound for her native Japan today and bid Saipan goodbye after making the island her home the past 14 years.

Amemiya, who is also leaving her job as guest loyalty program manager for Pacific Islands Club, said she would be returning to Japan to be with her mother.

SAIWAI presented Amemiya with a plaque of recognition for her years of active participation in the walking association during a special presentation at the Aqua Resort Club last May 3. SAIWAI president Jesus T. Guerrero presented the plaque to Amemiya.

“Ms. Hiroko has been very supportive and outstanding in carrying out the programs of SAIWAI. We would truly miss her and wish her well as she goes back to Japan,” he said.

SAIWAI director Mario Espeleta said the organization would forever be indebted to Amemiya, who along with former PIC general manager Wendy Herring, were one of the pioneers of SAIWAI and were instrumental in its creation.

Aside from SAIWAI, Team PDI also presented Amemiya with a plaque of appreciation for her outstanding work in the community.

Team PDI president Gordon Marciano presented the award to Amemiya and paid tribute to her contributions.

“We would like to thank Hiroko san for supporting the ‘Cancer Drive’ in the CNMI, which is the focus of TEAM PDI. She has been very active also in other cancer fundraising projects, including the just concluded May March Against Cancer,” he said.

Amemiya arrived on Saipan in 1991 and started out as a Club Mate at PIC. She moved up the ladder eventually being promoted to manager.

Aside from her work in the community and SAIWAI, Amemiya also brought sports glory to her adopted island. She teamed up with 2004 NMASA Hall of Fame Irene Alpet to win the bronze medal of the women’s doubles in lawn tennis of the 1990 Saipan Micronesian Games.

Amemiya also was an active member of the organizing committees of the Tagaman Triathlon and the Marianas Visitors Authority’s Christmas in the Marianas campaign.

Amemiya assured SAIWAI and her friends that her leaving is not really goodbye and vowed she would return.

“You haven’t seen the last of me, that I’m sure of. I left before and I came back again. I would surely come back, probably as a tourist,” she said after helping out in last Saturday’s SAIWAI World Walking Day walk.