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Ex-BOE chair wants to be mayor
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Posted on May 20 2009
Roman Benavente, a former chairman of the Board of Education, will seek the mayoralty seat for Saipan in November.
The independent candidate said his decision to run for office was motivated by his desire to help the youth and children of the island.
Benavente had also served as board chairman of the CNMI Scholarship Office and served the San Vicente Elementary School as its PTA president for many years.
As former member of the Education Board for two terms, Benavente served as the body’s chairman for four years after becoming vice chair during his first term.
He said there’s a great need to focus on the young generation— the future of the Commonwealth.
Incumbent Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela is now serving his final term in office.
Benavente lauded Tudela’s commitment to community programs and for sustaining the Saipan Higher Educational Financial Assistance program, which provides scholarship grants to qualified students.
“That’s one of the priority programs I want to continue and pursue,” he told Saipan Tribune yesterday.
Benavente counts among his achievements the many progress seen at public schools such as building improvements through the use of CIP money, the implementation of the Highly Qualified Teachers policy that was adopted in 2006, and the formulation of the PSS standards and benchmarks and testing guides and evaluations.
