Tenorio elected CUC board chair; Terlaje is named acting CUC chief

Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board of directors chair Janice A. Tenorio presides over the continuation of last week’s board meeting yesterday in the CUC conference room at the Joeten Dandan Building. Tenorio designated CUC administration chief Betty G. Terlaje, extreme right, as acting executive director effective that day and until further notice. (FERDIE DE LA TORRE)

From a temporary capacity, Janice A. Tenorio is now officially the chairperson of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board of directors, while CUC administration chief Betty G. Terlaje has been designated as acting CUC executive director.

Donald R. Browne was also elected board vice chair in yesterday’s election, while Allen Michael Perez was elected secretary and treasurer, in the continuation of last week’s CUC board meeting at the CUC conference room at the Joeten Dandan Building.

Before the election of officers, Tenorio, as chair pro tem, designated Terlaje as acting CUC executive director effective that day and “until further notice.”

With four board members present, a quorum was established. With the guidance of assistant attorney general Hunter Hunt as counsel, the board proceeded with the election of officers. It was Perez who nominated Tenorio to serve as chair and Browne as vice chair.

Also present at the meeting was Commonwealth Economic Development Authority chair Frank Borja, who is a member of the board.

In a later interview with the media, Tenorio said her goal is to close the job vacancy announcement for the position of executive director and hire that individual.

She said that since Chretien T. Voerg, who is the deputy executive director for water/wastewater, resigned Wednesday, his position will also be announced probably that day (yesterday).

Voerg did not indicate his reason for leaving CUC in his resignation letter.

Voerg’s resignation as acting executive director took effect yesterday afternoon. He informed Tenorio that he is also resigning as deputy director for water/wastewater deputy director effective June 2, 2023.

Tenorio designated Voerg as acting executive director last Monday, shortly after she sacked Dr. Dallas M. Peavey Jr.

It was Tenorio who first designated Peavey as acting executive director last Feb. 21 when Gary P. Camacho resigned as executive director. Peavey was hired last year as deputy director for CUC’s electric power systems.

When asked about Voerg’s reason for resigning, Tenorio said she can’t comment as it’s a personal matter. Tenorio also refused to comment about the specific reason why she terminated Peavey’s employment.

As for Terlaje’s designation as acting chief executive director, Tenorio said Terlaje has been with CUC for a long time and has the institutional knowledge of the corporation, but is not interested in the executive director’s position.

She said Terlaje also does not meet the requisite qualifications; federal court-stipulated orders have quite specific requirements for the position of CUC’s executive director.

Tenorio said she believes CUC officials are doing a good job managing the agency, but it’s just unfortunate that people have to resign, which is beyond their control.

She said they are trying their best to fill up key positions, but that CUC is an agency that requires specialized individuals such as engineers, senior engineers, senior managers and senior executives, that they just need to really search, continue the search, and then hire those individuals.

“When we do, of course individuals from off-island are given that opportunity as well,” the chair said.

During the public comments portion of the board meeting, Rep. Vincent S. Aldan (Ind-Saipan) pointed out that CUC’s organizational chart indicates that Terlaje manages the collection and billing section of CUC.

Aldan, who chairs the House of Representatives Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications Committee, asked what assures the board that Terlaje will execute her fiduciary duty as executive director to collect and bill properly.

“Everybody in this room are rate payers. The rate payers are tired. I am tired,” Aldan said. “I am pretty sure that if I ask the public to do the same thing that the government is doing in not paying its bills, what do you think is [going to] happen to CUC and the whole CNMI?” he asked.

Aldan said the situation is “totally unfair” and that enough is enough. “So somebody in this room better start doing due diligence and their fiduciary duty,” said Aldan. “No more politics, no more playing games, no more pointing fingers. Just do the job.”