SSC to elect new board members

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will hold its 2021-2022 board of directors in-person voting tomorrow at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in Garapan at 11am. Announcement of winners will also be held at the same meeting after votes are counted.

Eleven candidates from various businesses in the CNMI vying for five available board seats. They are David Bush of Hawaiian Rock Productions, Ciara Ada of Xerox Corp., Marcia Calvo of Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters, Das Krishnan of Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Kevin McCale of Docomo Pacific, Janice Tenorio of IT&E CNMI, Shayne Villanueva of Assurance Brokers Inc. Saipan, Ron Smith of Angil Design, Inc., James Arenovski of Island Training Solutions, Joseph Guerrero of Naked Fish Bar & Grill Inc., and Michael Sheu of Hong Ye Trading Co. Ltd.

DAVE BUSH
Hawaiian Rock Products

Dave Bush has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco and almost five decades of knowledge and experience in the construction industry. A Chamber member for five years now, he hopes to help the Chamber find ways to improve the interaction of the business community with the government.

CIARA ADA
Xerox Corp.

Ciara Ada holds a degree in Health Information Technology from DeVry University and has worked in communications and technology companies such as AT&T and PTI (now IT&E), and Fry’s Electronics. Her experience in these companies landed her the job at Xerox Corp. on Saipan in 2017. She is eager to serve her community, including organizations such as Marianas Young Professionals, Saipan Young Professionals, Saipan Chamber of Commerce, and Life in the Son Christian Fellowship.

MARCIA CALVO
Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters

Marcia Calvo is running for board re-election as she served on the SCC board of directors and as Events Committee chairperson for the past two years. She is the marketing and account executive of Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters and her areas of expertise includes providing input on the health care, environmental and cultural matters that impact our islands.

DAS KRISHNAN
Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan
Das Krishnan has been an active member of the Chamber since 2008 and his work in the hospitality industry for over 20 years has been widely recognized in the successes of former Tinian Dynasty, Saipan Word Resort, and Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan (soon to be Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan). If voted as a board member, Krishnan hopes to serve the Chamber and its members by actively supporting Chamber events and use his wide network and experience to help the Chamber accomplish its goals.

KEVIN MCCALE
Docomo Pacific

Account manager Kevin McCale of Docomo Pacific provides total telecommunication consultations and solutions for CNMI businesses and government agencies. He served previous terms on the SCC board of directors (two years as secretary), is a former member of the Rotary Club of Saipan, and a member of the Salvation Army advisory board. McCale is running for a position on the board of directors because he aspires to bring honesty and integrity in representing the mission and vision of the SCC.

JANICE TENORIO
IT&E CNMI
Janice Tenorio has been giving her time both in the private sector as CNMI IT&E Customer Service & Government Relation manager and public sector as chairperson of the 16th and 17th CNMI State Board of Education, which is the governing and policymaking body of the CNMI Public School System and held previous positions at the Northern Marianas College, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., CNMI Senate, and Northern Marianas Trades Institute. As a Chamber member, she is a former co-chair of SCC Events Committee and SCC Education Committee, and to date assists both SCC committees with their activities.

SHAYNE VILLANUEVA
Assurance Brokers Inc. Saipan

Operations manager Shayne Villanueva has been a member of the Chamber for four years and has served on the board for one term. In 2018, he was recognized as Saipan Young Professional of the Year and one of the 2019 Guam Business Journal’s 40 Most Influential Young Business Persons under 40. Villanueva is active in the Chamber’s Events Committees.

RON SMITH
Angil Design

A Chamber member for 20 years, Angil Design president Ron Smith previously served two terms on the board of directors. Aside from being engaged in the SCC Government Relations Committee, Smith also lends his technical expertise to the Chamber. Smith is running for a board position because he believes that he can make a positive contribution to the board through strong consensus building and a significant contribution toward the concise formulation of board statements and policies.

JAMES ARENOVSKI
Island Training Solutions

James Arenovski has been a Chamber member since 1999, served as president in 2007 and 2008, chaired the Education and Small Business committees and is an incumbent board member who is running for re-election. He owns Delta Management Corp. and Island Training Solutions. In 2011 he was awarded SCC Businessperson of the Year and his company, Island Training Solutions, was awarded the Small Business of the Year in 2019.

JOE GUERRERO
Naked Fish Bar & Grill

Joe Guerrero of Naked Fish Bar & Grill is running for board re-election and is no stranger to serving the community. If elected for another term, Guerrero hopes to continue to contribute to the Government Relations Committee by adding input on various legislation and public policies and regulations that affect our business community.

MICHAEL SHEU
Hong Ye Trading Co. Ltd.

Hong Ye Construction and Hong Ye Hardware manager Michael Unpingco Sheu has been a Chamber member since 2019. He is a former recipient of the 2011 SCC Scholarship and finished Business Administration in Finance from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and he is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program. He is running for a board position to offer a different perspective and solutions on issues facing the CNMI, like supply chain and logistics, workforce sustenance and mobilization in the CNMI.

Besides the election, Patrick C. Guerrero from the Office of the Governor – CNMI Public Assistance Office, who served as the public assistance officer for typhoons Soudelor, Mangkhut, Yutu, and the Governor’s authorized representative for the COVID-19, will be guest speaker and will talk about current recovery projects and another topic on how businesses can equip themselves when bidding on government contracts.