Tenorio, Neal to speak at June SHRM meeting

Maisie Tenorio, executive director for the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, and Attorney Shelli Neal, former CNMI chief prosecutor, will be the co-speakers at the NMI Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management’s June general membership meeting.

Their topic of “Domestic Violence and the Workplace” is a highly relevant topic to the Human Resource professionals and managers who face the question of “what to do” for the victim and with the perpetrator on an all too frequent basis. This lunch meeting will be held at the Pacific Islands Club Charley’s on Thursday, June 25, from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

Tenorio, with Bachelor’s Degrees in both Psychology and Human Development & Family Sciences from Oregon State University, has worked in various human service capacities over the years, to include as the coordinator for the Family Court Division of the CNMI Superior Court. Tenorio was a founding member of the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence and served as its board chair for two years, prior to becoming the executive director in 2009.

“I have a deep love for my community,” Tenorio states, “and a strong commitment to ending domestic violence and sexual assault in the CNMI and throughout the pacific region. I believe our community has the strength to overcome these problems and create spaces where everyone feels safe, respected, and loved.”

Neal has a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Texas and 19 years of legal experience in criminal prosecution with a specialty is domestic and sexual violence cases. She served for four years with the CNMI Attorney General’s Office, rising to the position of chief prosecutor.

With her experience, Neal advises that “Domestic and sexual violence is a serious, complicated and prevalent issue in the CNMI. I’m glad to be part of a community-wide effort to combat it here. We’ve actually made a lot of progress in the last few years with increased outreach, funding, education and accountability. Still, we obviously have a lot of work left to do.”

The SHRM presentation is open to the public and will be an invaluable opportunity for employers and HR professionals and staff to gain information and to discuss a difficult situation that we all eventually face in our workplaces. SHRM said their speakers will focus on domestic violence in general and how it may impact the workplace, what employers can do to help employees who are living with abuse, safety concerns, and what to do when employees are abusers/offenders. They will also talk about the new “Anti-Violence Leave Act.” The program will discuss workplace, social, and legal aspects of domestic violence.

The presentation includes lunch and the cost is $20 for SHRM members and $30 for non-members. Seats are limited, so reserve your seat by contacting Micah Parico-Acuavera by phone at 234-1795 or by e-mail at corpoffice@triplejsaipan.com or by e-mail to Frank Gibson at flgibson@yahoo.com. (SHRM)