SCC elects new board of directors

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce filled five vacant board seats yesterday during their general membership meeting at the Grand Ballroom of Hyatt Regency Saipan. The new SCC board members are Marcia Calvo, Joe Guerrero, Das Krishnan, Janice Tenorio, and Shayne Villanueva.

All Chamber member representatives were given the opportunity to vote for their candidate of choice through online and in-person voting. The new board members will serve a term of two years.

Krishnan, who will serve as a board member for the first time, looks forward to contributing his knowledge and experience. “I am excited. …I want to see how the whole board works…see what I can do. With my age and wisdom, it will be awesome,” he said.

Krishnan, who is Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan’s food & beverage director, has been a Chamber member for 12 years and part of his plans for running is to serve the Chamber and its members by actively supporting Chamber events and using his wide network to help the Chamber accomplish his goals.

Villanueva, who is going in for his second term as board member, and represents Assurance Brokers Inc. feels that there is more work to be done “…and this is the reason why I wanted to run again. For myself, I try to work a lot with the youth and I feel like that I am their connection to the team [SCC].”

“It is exciting and I am ready to give back again to the business community and our CNMI community. I am ready to serve this new term and hopefully, many more terms,” he added.

Incumbent board member Guerrero, who represents Naked Fish Bar & Grill, initially did not want to run anymore but he was persuaded otherwise by other Chamber members. “I reconsidered…and it is good because it actually allows me to continue to give service to the Chamber. … I am happy to see that the Chamber is getting more dynamic and starting to play a role in aid of legislation to better help the community. …Even the governor has reached out to the Chamber for a comment, which is a nice change,” he said

From left, Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Velma Palacios, board member Michael S. Johnson of Deloitte, and newly elected board members Marcia Calvo of Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters, Das Krishnan of Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Janice Tenorio of IT&E, Joe Guerrero of Naked Fish, and Shayne Villanueva of Assurance Brokers Inc. Saipan at the SCC general membership meeting yesterday at the ballroom of Hyatt Regency Saipan in Garapan. (BEA CABRERA)

He assured, though, that the Chamber remain non-partisan “and our goal is always in the interest of the community so we will continue to work and give fair opinions.”

Calvo represents Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters and Tenorio is from IT&E CNMI.

The five elected Chamber board members will join Alex Sablan of TanHoldings, Velma Palacios of IT&E, Michael S. Johnson of Deloitte, Glen Hunter of The Shack, and Janel Pangelinan of Pacific Insurance Underwriters.

The general membership meeting yesterday was also the first time the Chamber held an in-person meeting since March. The event was attended by Chamber members and representatives following health and safety protocols.