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Valentino nominated to NMTI board
The Senate Executive Appointments and Government Investigation Committee started last Wednesday afternoon reviewing Mario Valentino’s nomination to the new Northern Marianas Technical Institute board of trustees.
The committee, led by chair Sen. Francisco Cruz (R-Tinian), held its first public hearing last Wednesday on Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ nomination of Valentino, who is Triple J Saipan’s construction operations manager, to the NMTI board.
“…Based on the résumé submitted, [Valentino] has tremendous experience in construction and other areas. In regards to skill, he is a specialist in construction” Cruz said. “He has been in [involved with] construction projects in different areas, companies, and projects.”
As of publication, Cruz noted that the committee has found no reason to deny Valentino’s nomination to the board. However, that does not mean Valentino’s nomination is a shoo-in.
In an interview, Valentino noted that he has been with the NMTI board for over two years now.
“It was an honor for me to be nominated by the governor,” he said. “I gladly accepted. Every time I give back to the community, it’s great.”
If the Senate approves his nomination, Valentino noted that he wishes to see the school grow even further.
That includes “…getting more students to [enroll in the school],” he said. “Right now, we are going to be working with some of the high schools and having counselors trying to come to [NMTI].”
A statement from the Office of the Governor’s social media page noted that Valentino “has extensive experience as a project and operations manager in the private sector and has successfully managed home and business construction projects. He is well versed in construction compliance and regulations regarding quality control, permitting, and workplace safety.
“The administration believes that… [Valentino possesses] the skills and temperament to build our workforce capacity and expresses its full confidence in his ability to serve,” it added.
