Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho, left, speaks to reporters as Special Education Program Director Donna Flores and Associate Commissioner for Administration Eric Magofna look on during a get-to-know meeting in the commissioner’s conference room on Tuesday.
THE new education commissioner, Lawrence F. Camacho, Ed.D, envisions a tri-board initiative that he believes will help boost current efforts to rebuild the local economy.
During a get-to-know meeting with reporters, he said through the tri-board, the Board of Education, the Northern Marianas College Board of Regents and the Northern Marianas Technical Institute Board of Trustees can work together to identify “workforce development options for economic advancement.”
Moreover, he said, “there is going to be collaboration between me, and the secretary of Labor, NMC, the University of Guam and NMTech because we have to.”
He wants “to ensure that we have policies that are aligned with [each other].”
He added, “And I’m hoping the tri-board will have an understanding of the direction of our economy, and … provide … policies…,” Camacho said.
A retired U.S. Army lt. colonel, Camacho served as UOG’s dean of enrollment management and student success, and of student/classroom experience. He was born and raised on Saipan where he attended San Roque Elementary School, Hopwood Junior High School and Marianas High School.
He said he always wanted to “come home and serve our people.” So when the BOE announced a vacancy for the education commissioner’s position he applied for it.
The BOE offered the job to Camacho in November 2023.
Camacho obtained his doctorate in educational leadership and management from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He earned his Master of Arts in higher education administration from the University of Louisville; his Master of Military Arts and Science in military history from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; and Master of Arts in leadership and liberal studies from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in public administration from the University of Guam.
As education commissioner, he said he wants students “to be able to say, ‘I am in the CNMI Public School System because I’m learning, I’m enjoying my time, I’m growing, I’m developing.’ ”
“It’s not just about letting students graduate and that’s the end of it,” he added. “The other thing is that we guide them through the process. And we’re hoping that when they eventually graduate, they know where they’re going — whether it’s straight to the workforce, higher education or to the trades.”
