4 Fitial appointees cruise through Senate panel

Four Cabinet nominees cruised yesterday through the Senate panel that confirms appointments by the governor.

The Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations conducted confirmation hearings for Joseph Kevin Villagomez, who has been named to serve as secretary of the Department of Public Health; Ignacio Dela Cruz, secretary of Department of Lands and Natural Resources; Jose Demapan, secretary of the Department of Public Works; and Mathilda Rosario, director of the Office of Personnel Management.

During the hearing, each appointee was given an opportunity to present qualifications and plans for the department or agency to which he was being designated.

Members of the public were allowed to testify in support of, or against, the appointments, before the Senate committee members took the floor and threw questions at the appointees.

Each confirmation hearing went smoothly and ended with the panel congratulating the nominee.

Sen. Henry San Nicolas, chairman of the committee, said the confirmation will become effective Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2006. On that day, the entire Senate will convene and adopt the affirmative recommendation of the six-member committee.

Villagomez served as Public Health secretary between 1998 and 2002 under the administration of then Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio. He has been with the department since 1992, holding positions such as a substance abuse professional and counseling psychologist and director of the Division of Mental Health and Social Services.

The only veterinarian working for the CNMI government, Dela Cruz worked as chief of the Department of Natural Resources’ Animal Health and Industry Division from 1979 to 1994. He has also been elected to the 23rd and 24th Saipan Municipal Councils and the Fourth NMI District Legislature. In addition, he has served a member of the CNMI Board of Education, CNMI Board of Regents, saipan Agricultural Fair Association, and the Saipan and Northern Islands Soil and Water Conservation District.

Demapan worked at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. for eight years before he started his own financial consulting business in March 2003. He served as president of United Pacific Corporation from 1985 to 1990; and then owner/general manager of Pacifica Builders and project manager of Pacifica Consulting Engineers from 1987 to1992. He has also held teaching and administrative positions at Northern Marianas College and Marianas High School.

Rosario has been doing personnel-related work for the CNMI government since 1979. From being secretary at the Civil Service Commission, she rose up the ranks and became director of the Office of Personnel Management from 1998 to 2001. Former Gov. Juan N. Babauta appointed her to serve as special assistant for personnel matters in 2001 and she held the position until 2003. She returned to OPM in 2005 and was serving as chief of OPM’s Employment and Employee Relations Division when Fitial appointed her to head the agency.