CUC top post vacant since July 2015

Except for the position of executive director, all senior management positions at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. are now filled.

In CUC’s status report on Friday, CUC legal counsel James Sirok told the U.S. District Court for the NMI that the executive director position has been vacant since July 14, 2015. Since then, CUC has received and reviewed 29 applications for this position.

Sirok said CUC has transmitted several names to EPA for qualification vetting and that EPA has fully approved three of these individuals who met the qualification requirements.

CUC has interviewed two of the three EPA vetted applicants, and one other applicant that the EPA did not initially approve.

Sirok said EPA requested further information concerning this applicant before it would approve the applicant as being qualified for the position.

Of the three applicants vetted by EPA, Sirok said, upon the interview of one, during the interview process certain information came to light about the applicant that caused the CUC board of directors to determine that it would not be in the best interest to hire the applicant.

Sirok said one EPA vetted applicant was interviewed and hired for the then vacant position of deputy executive director of water and wastewater.

At the same time, he said, CUC offered the executive director post to the applicant who was not initially approved by EPA. That applicant declined CUC’s offer, Sirok said.

The third and most recent EPA vetted applicant, Sirok said, withdrew his name. An interview was already scheduled for this person but he then decided to withdraw prior to the actual interview.

Sirok said currently there is no one sitting within CUC for this position and that CUC continues to advertise the opening for the executive director’s position within the CNMI, and within the U.S. and internationally through the publications of various utility organizations such as the American Public Power Association, the Northwest Public Power Association, the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation.

This vacancy in a senior level management position at CUC is an ongoing major concern of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. government.

Right now, Gary Camacho, the Power Division manager, is the acting executive director.