Senate tackles nominations to CDA, CPA boards

Tenorio

Demapan

The Senate Committee on Executive Appointments & Government Investigations examined yesterday the qualifications of a couple of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ nominees to the Commonwealth Ports Authority and Commonwealth Development Authority boards.

Clarence Pangelinan Tenorio Jr. was nominated to the CPA Board representing Saipan, while David Demapan was nominated to the CDA Board.

Tenorio currently serves as the manager for Joeten Wholesale and head buyer under the business conglomerate of J.C. Tenorio Enterprises. He is responsible for supply purchases from various countries including the United States for the various subsidiaries of the enterprise. He also graduated from UC-Berkeley with a BA in Political Science. He served in the U.S. Armed Forces as an Adjutant/S-1 (Personnel) in active and reserve duty, and has been Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/M Device (2nd Award), Army Service Ribbon, and Parachutist Badge, according to the Office of the Governor.

At the Senate chamber yesterday, Tenorio told reporters that he looks forward to bringing his experience in the private sector and his military service to benefit the Commonwealth and to help improve the airports and seaports of the CNMI.

Tenorio said he has served a total of seven years in active duty, leaving the U.S. Army with the rank of captain.

Asked what issues he’d been following at the airport that he’d like to work on, Tenorio noted the divert airfield that the U.S. Air Force proposes to build on Saipan as a “big issue,” and noted some of the infrastructure problems that have plagued the airport recently, like the problems runway lights and the fire trucks going down.

“Those are things that we just have to have good back up plans to address things like that in future,” Tenorio said.

“Governor Torres and Lt. Governor Hocog are extremely pleased that Mr. Tenorio accepted his nomination to the CPA board and are confident he will be an asset to the board and to the CNMI as whole,” Office of Governor spokesperson Ivan Blanco said yesterday.

Sen. Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan) also said Tenorio was clearly a qualified individual just from his resume and his experience dealing with ports as part of a major corporation on Saipan.

“I am very confident that I believe that the other members saw that also,” he said. “He’s a young individual that has been in a major private enterprise and that has got the experience. He’s part of the next generation of commercial leaders.”

Blanco also said that Torres and Hocog are confident of Demapan’s strong background, lauding his experience in finance and accounting as “a significant plus to the CDA Board.”

Demapan began his career as a staff auditor for Deloitte before becoming a comptroller for Marianas Public Land Corp., Commonwealth Ports Authority, and then CFO for the Marianas Public Land Authority, comptroller/auditor for the NMI Retirement Fund, before entering the private sector. He currently serves as a legislative fiscal analyst with the CNMI Legislative Bureau after leaving the private sector.

Demapan holds a Master’s Degree in Professional Accountancy (MSA) from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration, Michigan.