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Two join CDA board as newest members
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Posted on Oct 13 2011
By Clarissa V. David
Reporter
Reporter
The two new members of the Commonwealth Development Authority board were sworn in during the board’s meeting yesterday.
Edwin P. Aldan of Tinian and Tom Glenn G. Quitugua of Rota took their oaths administered by legal counsel Ben Salas.
The Senate confirmed the appointments of Aldan and Quitugua on Oct. 5.
Aldan will serve the remaining term of former board member Nathan Quichocho, who was removed from the post. His term expires on July 8, 2014.
Quitugua, meanwhile, will serve on the board until his term expires on April 21, 2015.
Aldan, a retired police officer for 17 years and a former congressman, said this is his first time to be appointed to any board.
“I see that I’ll be trying to work with members, trying to better understand their positions and feelings about the issues that we’re facing. At the same time, I see a future where we may have to work really hard to keep the corporation on track on what it’s intended to do, which is to help economically develop businesses to help out the CNMI,” he said.
Quitugua, who presently works as an adviser to Rota Mayor Melchor Mendiola, formerly served as the board chair in 2005-2006 and has already established a “working relationship” with his colleagues, some of whom are still with the board.
“As you can see, I’d like to keep that. It’s the closeness of the unit-when you establish that closeness, it brings good things,” he told Saipan Tribune. “It’s exciting because we have an opportunity to be part of a movement forward, to hopefully stimulate new investments, stabilize those that are delinquent, develop policies that also can help them,” he said.
The other board members are chair Pedro I. Itibus, vice chair Edward C. Sablan, secretary Edwin M. Hofschneider, and member Diego Songao.
According to Quitugua, his focus is to contribute and ensure “that everybody gets a fair shot in making it in the world” through CDA.
“We’ve had progress before in doing just that. There’s always hope and we can do it. We can be a part of it. If we all work hand in hand, there’s nothing we can’t do,” he added.
CDA is an autonomous agency established in 1985 primarily to stimulate economic development in the CNMI.
