THE newly created Infrastructure and Recovery Office has hired a new engineer who will report for work next week, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said.
The office is headed by former Department of Public Lands Secretary Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo and was created to focus on procurement, permitting and construction management/engineering for federally funded infrastructure and recovery projects.
Engineers, biologists, environmental planners, master planners, archaeologists, as well as attorneys will be brought onto the team for these projects, including those of Northern Marianas College, the Public School System, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, and road projects.
The new office will streamline the permitting process for infrastructure projects, and will likewise work with the Marianas Visitors Authority to help make the CNMI a world-class tourist destination.
The governor said he is also working with the CNMI Scholarship Office to bring back local scholarship recipients in technical professions who are currently on the U.S. mainland.
“It’s an open invitation to those who fall in the category of engineers, biologists, environmental planners, archaeologists, attorneys…. There are different positions that are needed and I hope that we can fill these positions in the next month or so,” he said.
The governor at the same time congratulated the recent graduates, and encouraged those who will attend colleges in the states to return to the CNMI in the future.
“I just want to wish all of the graduates, again, a huge congratulations for all of their achievements,” he said.
“Whatever they decide to do, we’re here to support. But please come back and help our community because our community definitely needs each and every one of you. Come back and help give back to our community and to our next generations.”
