By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
GOVERNOR David M. Apatang last week nominated Carline Sablan, former economic development analyst at the Commonwealth Development Authority, to the Commonwealth Ports Authority Board of Directors.
Sablan, who currently works as the organizational data integrity manager at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., will represent the Third Senatorial District or Saipan and the Northern Islands on the CPA board, along with the governor’s other nominee, retired police major Juan Salas. They will fill the seats vacated by Joseph Diaz and Thomas “Kiyu” Villagomez whose terms expired on Oct. 7, 2025.
Sablan also served as the executive director of the Northern Marianas Sports Association.
In his appointment letter to Sablan, the governor said he and Lt. Gov. Dennis James Mendiola are confident that she is qualified and will be an asset to the board.
The governor expressed his and Mendiola’s confidence in Sablan’s ability to carry out the functions and mandates of the CPA board in his letter to Senate President Karl King-Nabors.
The governor initially renominated Villagomez last month, but Variety was informed last week that the outgoing CPA board member declined the renomination.
Also last month, the governor nominated Vicente N. Camacho Jr., program manager at Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., and Eusebio M. Manglona, program manager at the Office of the Governor, to represent the Carolinian community and the First Senatorial District or Rota, respectively, on the CPA board.
Camacho will succeed former CPA board chairman Ramon A. Tebuteb, whose term also expired on Oct. 7, 2025, while Manglona will fill the seat of former vice chairman Steve Mesngon, who resigned in August.
The current CPA board members are acting chairman Antonio B. Cabrera of Saipan, Bart Jackson representing the business community, and Dolores Kiyoshi of Tinian.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
