Kagman High School junior Vinnie Juan Q. Sablan, center, was sworn in as the new student representative to the Board of Education. Also in photo: BOE Chair Gregory Pat Borja, Vice Chair Maisie B. Tenorio, Secretary-Treasurer Andrew L. Orsini, Board Member Antonio L. Borja, Board Member Daniel Quitugua, and Non-Public School Representative Dr. Ron Snyder. Teacher Representative Dr. Dora Miura attended via online.
Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho, left, speaks as newly elected Board of Education Chair Gregory Pat Borja and BOE member Antonio L. Borja listen.
THE Board of Education on Thursday elected outgoing member Gregory Pat Borja of Saipan to be the new chair of the governing and policymaking body of the Public School System.
Borja, whose term on the board ends in Jan. 2025, will fill the position vacated by Rota’s Herman Atalig, who resigned in July due to health reasons.
Saipan member Maisie B. Tenorio served as acting chair for four months. She now returns to her previous position as vice chair.
On Thursday, Gregory Pat Borja was nominated for the chairmanship by Tinian BOE member Antonio L. Borja, who was seconded by Tenorio.
Gregory Pat Borja was unanimously elected.
The other elected BOE members are Saipan’s Andrew L. Orsini and Rota’s Daniel O. Quitugua, whose term ends in Jan. 2025.
The BOE also elected Orsini as the new secretary-treasurer, succeeding Gregory Pat Borja.
“I appreciate everyone’s faith in my leadership,” the new BOE chair said. He was also elected to the same position in 2022.
Orsini likewise expressed his appreciation to his colleagues. “I will do my best to serve the needs of our community through our BOE,” he said.
New student representative
Before the election of the new chair and secretary-treasurer, then-acting BOE Chair Masie B. Tenorio administered the oath of office to Vinnie Juan Q. Sablan, the new student representative to the board.
The speaker of the CNMI Youth Congress, Sablan is a junior student of Kagman High School.
“I’m excited to serve our public school students with this new appointment,” he said. “For now, I will use this opportunity to listen and observe [how the BOE works],” he added.
Sablan was accompanied by his parents, Vinnie and Roca Sablan, during his swearing-in at the BOE office on Capital Hill.
Besides Tenorio and the other elected BOE members, welcoming the new student representative were Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho, Non-Public School Representative Dr. Ronald Snyder and Teacher Representative Dr. Dora Miura, who participated online.
“We look forward to working with you through the many programs and initiatives that we have for our students… that are being implemented in all of our elementary, middle, and high schools on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota,” Commissioner of Education Camacho told the new student representative.
“I would like to congratulate the new student representative who is also the speaker of the Youth Congress,” BOE member Quitugua said.
“Thank you for accepting this opportunity to take the lead on behalf of our public school students. We’re glad that you’re joining us,” BOE member Orsini said.
