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AMP bookstore has a new manager
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Posted on Nov 24 2011
By Clarissa David
Reporter
Reporter
The American Memorial Park bookstore has a new manager.
Alegria Richardson officially joined the team Monday after senior associate Ghazanfar Chaudhry left for Hawaii following an employment offer with Pearl Harbor Pacific Historic Park.
A native of Gloria, Oriental Mindoro in the Philippines, Richardson is not new to island living, having stayed in Guam less than a year before moving to Palau where she stayed for 10 years and managed a company that deals with diving and underwater photography.
After her stint in Palau, Richardson and her husband, assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe, moved to Austin, Texas where she worked at OneWest Bank as a certified underwriter before relocating to Saipan in October.
“This is my first time on Saipan and it’s like a mini-Palau and Guam. Everything is in here and you have beautiful waters,” Richardson told Saipan Tribune in an interview yesterday.
Richardson disclosed that she got interviewed for the job on Saturday and signed her papers on Sunday.
While still learning the 2012 marketing plan that her predecessor has prepared, Richardson noted that the economic downturn would not make it easy for her to accomplish her role as bookstore manager for one of the Pacific Historic Parks’ national parks.
“I think it would be a great challenge for me to.market the business,” she said.
Richardson plans to work with the private sector, including tour companies and hotels, to gain more knowledge and understanding about the island’s history and economy as well as maintain the relationships that Chaudhry had started.
This knowledge, she said, would help her promote the islands wherever she goes. “Now, living and working here, I think it makes the difference,” added Richardson.
Since coming to Saipan, Richardson said she has visited Banzai Cliff and Suicide Cliff in Marpi. “I get goose bumps every time I hear about the story. You know, like any Pacific island history, it’s sad to hear what happened.”
Park ranger Susan Fishman-Tudor, in a separate interview, described Richardson as “immediately accepting and cooperative with the staff and customers.”
“She has already shared ideas on how to improve our usage by the local people. .We’re lucky to have her here,” she added.
