Chamber names 4 nominees for Biz Person of the Year

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday four nominees for its 2020 Business Person of the Year Award: Joseph C. Guerrero (Naked Fish Bar & Grill), Josephine DLG Mesta (Hyatt Regency Saipan), Esther Muna (Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.), and Dr. Joshua Wise of PHI Pharmacy. All four nominees are active members of the Chamber.

The winner of this award will be selected by the prior recipients of this award and announced at the annual Business Person of the Year Gala slated for Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, at the Royal Taga Ballroom, Saipan World Resort, from 6pm to 10pm.

Seats to the event are limited due to COVID-19 and available for advance purchase only for $100 per person. Tickets include a formal sit-down dinner, networking, and a night celebrating the movers and shakers of our community. To order tickets, RSVP online at https://www.saipanchamber.com/bpoyannualgala/, email coordinator@saipanchamber.com, call (670) 234-7150, or visit the fourth floor of the Marianas Business Plaza, Suite 413.

Guerrero

JOSEPH C. GUERRERO
Guerrero is the co-owner of Naked Fish Bar & Grill as well as Hafa Adai Realty. He has over 19 years of senior business management and development experience in real estate finance and investments, commercial lending, and sales; consulting; restaurant and bar; telecommunications sales; health care; and auto dealership.

Guerrero is a former chair of the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission (2012-2015). Currently, he is vice president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce (2019-present), board member of the NMI Crime Stoppers (2017-present), as well as a member of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors as appointed by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres.

Guerrero has been a member of the Chamber for nearly 20 years and holds a BA in Business Administration (Real Estate) from Washington State University and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

Mesta

JOSEPHINE DLG MESTA
Mesta is director of Human Resources of Hyatt Regency Saipan. She has 20-plus years of experience in international and multicultural management-level human resource management, senior-level hospitality management and training; and administrative and leadership positions. She is also the owner of Train Smart, which provides training for small businesses, government agencies, job coaching of workers with disabilities.

Mesta received her bachelor’s degree in Business at Hawaii Pacific College and her masters of Education specializing in Special Education at the University of Hawaii. She is a certified training specialist at the University of Hawaii, certified as a professional in human resources through the Society of Human Resources, and a certified guest service professional through the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.

Mesta is a founding member of the SHRM–Northern Marianas Chapter, where she became president, chair of the State Workforce Investment board, secretary of the Northern Marianas Business Alliance, vice-chair of the State Rehabilitation Council, Chair of the Santa Soledad Finance Council, and member of the Kagman Christian Mothers. She is also a former member of CNMI Task Workforce and former board member of the Northern Marianas Trades Institute. Because of her dedication to our workforce needs, the CNMI moves closer to a locally-sustained, equitable workforce.

Muna

ESTHER MUNA
Muña was appointed CHCC chief executive officer in April 2014 and as the state/territorial health official for the CNMI. She currently oversees the strategic direction and all operations of the CNMI health system, which includes the Commonwealth Health Center Hospital, Rota Health Center, Tinian Health Center, Population Health Services, Behavioral Health Services, and Environmental Health Services. 

Muna is board-certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Muña’s leadership roles include currently serving as a member of the End-Stage Renal Disease Network 17 board of directors, as president of the Pacific Island Health Officers Association, as a board member of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and as the chair of the Insular Affairs Committee of ASTHO.

Muña received a Master of Health Administration degree from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

Wise

DR. JOSHUA WISE
Wise has been the general manager for Pacific Health Inc. (PHI Pharmacy) since 2015. Since serving as GM, PHI has opened multiple new locations in Kagman (March 2020), Garapan (September 2020), and Tinian (December 2020). The Tinian branch will be the first pharmacy in the CNMI operated by advanced Tele-Pharmacy software.

Wise collaborated with the Kagman Community Health Center to establish a 340B program, which enables KCHC patients who qualify under their sliding fee program to be able to be a recipient for a Care Card.

Wise graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Arts in Pharmacy Studies degree in 2014. He is a 2018 graduate of the Pacific Century Fellows–NMI Chapter, an active member of the CHCC Care Transition team, and an involved stakeholder for the Overdose to Action Program. (PR)